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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | August 18, 2017 09:19 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Robert F. Matzie |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Resolution designating the week of September 24 - 30, 2017, as "Rail Safety Week" in PA |
| In the near future, I will be introducing a resolution designating the week of September 24 to September 30, 2017, as “Rail Safety Week” in Pennsylvania. It is my hope that this resolution will raise awareness across our Commonwealth of the need for rail safety education and empower the public to keep themselves safe near railroad tracks. This will run in conjunction with “US Rail Safety Week,” with the shared goal reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail crossings and preventing trespassing on or near railroad tracks. While gains have been made in highway-rail crossing safety, much more remains to be done. Although crossing collisions have plummeted by 83 percent over the past four decades, preliminary federal statistics for 2016 show that total crossing fatalities rose nearly 14% resulting in 265 deaths. Trespassing is an even bigger problem. Every day, people are walking, exercising and taking pictures on or too close to the tracks, resulting in 988 deaths and injuries - up nearly 15% from last year. Shockingly, in the US, a person or vehicle is hit by a train about every three hours. By declaring September 24 to September 30, 2017 “Rail Safety Week” in Pennsylvania, we in the PA House of Representatives will call attention to the need for renewed dedication to saving lives near tracks and trains. I hope you will join me in sponsoring this resolution. |
Introduced as HR468