| Operation Lifesaver
started in Idaho in 1972 when the national average of
collisions at highway-rail grade crossings exceeded 12,000
annually. A six-week public awareness campaign called
"Operation Lifesaver" was sponsored by the office of
Governor Cecil Andrus, the Idaho Peace Officers and Union
Pacific railroad as a one-time, one-state initiative.
During the campaign's first year,
Idaho's crossing-related fatalities dropped by 43 percent. The
next year, the Operation Lifesaver campaign spread to
Nebraska, where their collision rate was reduced by 26
percent. Kansas and Georgia experienced similar success the
following year. By 1986, all 48 contiguous states plus Alaska
had started independent Operation Lifesaver programs.
Today, Operation Lifesaver programs
are active in 49 states nationwide. Check you state's website
or contact your State Coordinator for more information on
local activities and volunteer opportunities. The 49 states
have their own Operation Lifesaver programs, whose State
Coordinators work with nearly 200 trainers and 3,000 volunteer
presenters to deliver Operation Lifesaver's messages on
highway-rail grade crossing and pedestrian safety. Operation
Lifesaver's trained and certified volunteer presenters and
trainers include locomotive engineers and other railroad
employees, teachers, law enforcement officers, retired people,
truck drivers, students and others from all walks of life.
Each year, Operation Lifesaver's
presenters provide free safety presentations to more than 2
million Americans, including school children, driver's
education students, business leaders and professional truck
and bus drivers. Your State Coordinator would be glad to help
you schedule a free Operation Lifesaver safety presentation in
your community. Or contact your State Coordinator about
becoming an Operation Lifesaver volunteer.
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