Despite various campaigns calling for caution on the railways, people continue to break the rules, resulting in serious injuries or even loss of life. The main reasons for the loss of dozens of lives on the railways every year are recklessness and recklessness.
Despite the many calls for caution on the railways, accidents, and tragic ones, continue to happen.
“There is still a category of drivers, pedestrians, who ignore all the requirements when crossing a level crossing, and this leads to road accidents. It’s all together – recklessness, carelessness, and avoidance, and, of course, they are smart devices that distract all kinds of attention, ”points out Juris Jančevskis, Acting Chief of the Traffic Safety Board.
Every year, dozens of people die on the rails due to irresponsibility and recklessness.
“Every year, somewhere in the range of 25-30, we have rail incidents – most of them fatal; injuries, if any, are severe. There are 10 incidents this year – five fatal and five with injuries. Most often they are men, for the most part 70% are men – if we talk about young people, then this year two children have already suffered, ”says LDz chief technical inspector Dainis Zvaners.
The doctors of the children’s hospital point out that the injuries sustained on the railway tracks are fatal, but even those young people whose life doctors manage to save them most often have to put up with the injuries for the rest of their lives.
“Children who have been admitted to the Children’s Hospital suffer serious injuries, and their lives and those of their loved ones have been changed for the rest of their future. Most often, children suffer from limb amputation, so they become disabled. Further care is already at the disposal of rehabilitation and their parents, ”says Jānis Kolbergs, a doctor at the BKUS Intensive Care and Anesthesiology Clinic.
In order to have an accident, it is not necessary to be on the rails, it is enough to be close to a running train. It can pull a person with it with its vortex. Sometimes people survive such accidents, but the consequences are felt for the rest of their lives. In addition, it should be reminded that a train is not a car – it cannot brake quickly, even when you see it in time.
“The train mass is heavy, the inertia is very high. Even if the driver notices you 200-300 meters before, it may not be enough, because the braking distance may be longer – 400, 500, 600 meters. Consequently, the driver does not have the opportunity to prevent the accident, the train stops further than you, ”explains LDz Chief Technical Inspector.
In order to encourage children, young people, parents and the general public to remember about safety near the railway during the holiday and school holidays, Latvijas dzelzceļš is organizing another safety campaign, “You are not a crossing. Pause at the railway! ”.
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