Canada World Connections: Aspects of Citizenship Government in Canada 27 LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Students will: Learn how laws have been developed to protect children from injuries on railway tracks property. LENGTH OF LESSON: 45-60 minutes TEACHING ACTIVITIES: Ask the students: What is a law? What are examples of laws? How are laws made? What is trespassing on railways? Trespassing is: Walking, playing or running on or beside railway tracks Driving a bike, a car, an ATV, a snowmobile or any other vehicle on or beside railway tracks Taking a shortcut across railway tracks or railway property Entering railway yards at any time Discuss railway laws with the students. Laws are created to protect people people s property. Railway laws protect people from being injured killed by trains protect property that belongs to the railway companies. All railway tracks in Canada are owned by private companies, just like a house or an apartment is owned by someone. You cannot go on someone else s property without their permission. If you do, it is called trespassing. Railway police make sure that the laws are followed. They issue warnings, tickets, fines to ensure that people follow the laws.
Canada World Connections: Aspects of Citizenship Government in Canada 28 Today s assignment is to learn about trespassing on railway property also about the laws that protect the property of the railway companies protect people from being injured killed by trains. Break the students into small groups. Each group will receive a copy of The Railway Laws Enforcement Fact Sheet (found on page 30) to review. Ask each group to do the following activities: Use a classroom dictionary look up the words trespass, law enforcement. Write out all the definitions. Have the students answer: - What is the trespassing law for railways in Canada? - How is it enforced? - Why is this an important law? Have groups share their answers. STUDENT ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION: Have students write a journal entry from the point of view of a fined trespasser, or create a daily log entry of a railway police officer. Have them include what their character was thinking or feeling. FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES: 1) Invite a local railway police officer into your classroom to talk about how they enforce safety around railway tracks property. 2) Have students create a poster to show trespassing on the railway tracks. Have students present their posters to the school present rail safety tips. 3) Have students divide a sheet of paper in half lists reasons for against the following statements: - It s okay to trespass over a railway track if no trains are coming, in order to get to school on time. - Farmers can cross over train tracks if the tracks go through their l/fields. - Trespassing laws are a nuisance. Discuss the above statements as a class have students circle the views on their pages that best describes their position on each statement.
Staying Safe Canada World Connections: Aspects of Citizenship Government in Canada Safety at Railway Crossings A Parent Tip Sheet for children to take home LINK TO HOME: Distribute the Safe Crossing Week letter to parents/ guardians the Safety at Railway Crossings parent tip sheet to the students. Safety at Railway Crossings disability er one cause of death Injuries are the numb youth in Canada. among children TION ge, close to 100 THE SITUA year, on avera Each about 75 people are killed with d in collisions seriously injure ions are either les trains. The collis motor vehic between trains people. or trains help resource will This rail safety ivers teach their parents careg d trains, to be safe aroun children how ngs. railway crossi tracks at SAFETY RULES statistics, young According to years old, are men, aged 18-24 killed be injured or a most likely to ng collision or either in a crossi nt. incide trespassing to Each year, on average, close 100 people are killed d about 75 seriously injure in collisions with trains. to Research tells us that up 90 per cent of injuries are predictable, therefore, most railway injuries deaths can be prevented. WHYwith other types of injuries, As vary. the collisions of the reasons for ation tells part Anecdotal inform en youth. the story for childr for one train wait Sometimes they by another hit are ion. to pass from either direct train coming climb over a Sometimes they of into the path stationary train they train or fall as an oncoming s to on it it begin y are climbing they just simpl move. Sometimes train is coming that a are unaware on or beside the as they walk that causes tell us tracks. These. are preventable these incidents ng. at a railway crossi, Always cross have a sign, lights Most crossings gates. bells, /or ng the street crossi like e Just both ways befor stop look for tracks. Listen crossing train ing g for warn the train comin for are lights, watch bells. If there them to flash. at least going by, st 10 If a train is feet (that s about. 5 metres or 16 tracks the from giant steps) back your children, Just as you teach ate through traffic how to navig rules be taught the children must around trains for staying safe ngs. at railway crossi www. parachutecanada.org cross the tracks Never try to g. It is too if a train is comin dangerous. ways by, look both goes If a train ng. Make sure again before crossi coming. Many is not another train track, more than one crossings have more there could be s mean which at the same time. than one train s the your bike acros walk ys Alwa do sure your tires tracks to make t. not get caugh tracks. on or near train Never play l. illega It is dangerous Encourage the students to talk to their parents/guardians about how to be safe at railway crossings around tracks. What safety rule will you remember to tell? RESOURCES: Rail safety education. www.cn.ca CN is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. For more than 25 years, through its program All Aboard for Safety, CN Police officers speak annually to more than 300,000 children adults about the importance of safety at railway crossings the danger of walking playing on or near railway tracks. www.operationlifesaver.ca Rail safety education for educators, students, parents, drivers. If you would like to invite a CN Police officer to come to your classroom, please contact: British Columbia Norman.Witzell@cn.ca Alberta Dean.solowan@cn.ca Saskatchewan Matthew.loscombe@cn.ca Manitoba Paul.leaden@cn.ca Ontario Cynthia.Stotz@cn.ca Quebec Michael.Melanson@cn.ca New Brunswick Michael.Melanson@cn.ca Nova Scotia Barry.Gallagher@cn.ca 29
30 RAILWAY LAWS AND ENFORCEMENT FACT SHEET Railway tracks are private property. It is both illegal dangerous to be on or near any railway tracks, except at a designated crossing. Children, students, adults sometimes use the train tracks as a short cut to go to school or to the store or use it as a hangout with friends. The truth is you are not allowed to do any of these things you are trespassing! Trespassing means going onto someone else s private property without their permission it is against the law! So, if train tracks are private property you are not allowed to be on or near the tracks, how should you cross the tracks to get to the other side? Highway-railway crossings (where the road meets the rail) are the only locations where anyone is allowed to cross the tracks. At these locations, there are warning devices, such as signs, flashing red lights, a ringing bell, barrier arms that go up down. Some level crossings may only have stop signs or even just cross buck signs. There are pavement markings, such as a big white X two thick white lines that are painted on the roadway along with yellow advanced warning signs that indicate there are train tracks up ahead to proceed with caution. When these warning devices activate, it means that a train is approaching that you must stop. Whether you are walking, riding your bike or driving in mom or dad s car, you must stop, wait for the train to go by, more importantly, wait for the warning devices to completely shut off before you proceed across the train tracks. Before crossing, you must look both ways to make sure another train is not coming from the same or the other direction. Crossing train tracks at any location, other than at the designated level crossings, is dangerous.
31 TRESPASS TO PROPERTY ACT AND RAILWAY SAFETY ACT The Trespass to Property Act the Railway Safety Act give railway police officers other policing agencies the right to charge anyone who: Enters premises when entry is prohibited, Engages in prohibited activity on premises; /or Fails to leave the railway s property when told to do so by a police officer. The Railway Safety Act states: No person shall, without lawful excuse, enter on l on which a line work is situated. Line work means railway tracks, switches /or signals buildings that are on railway property. A monetary charge (fine) or a summons to appear in court (depending on the severity of the incident) may be given to the trespasser as a result of the police officer s findings. The purpose of enforcing these laws is to ensure that children, students adults are fully aware of the potential dangers associated with train tracks. These laws help reduce injuries the needless loss of life as well as ensure the safe operation of all trains mechanical devices the work in railway yards. Trains cannot stop quickly. It can take more than 10 football fields or more than 1 kilometre to come to a complete stop when traveling at 100 km/h. Locomotives do not have steering wheels. An engineer cannot swerve the train out of the way to avoid a trespasser or vehicle that is on the tracks. Remember: A train can approach from either direction on any track at any time. Crossing train tracks anywhere other than at a designated level crossing is trespassing. It is not only against the law, but extremely dangerous! IS THE TIME YOU SAVE WORTH YOUR LIFE? ANY TIME IS TRAIN TIME!