Public invited to take the rail safety pledge; CN debuts 360° virtual reality Rail Safety Experience
CN Police officers will have custom Google Cardboard viewers to demonstrate the 360° rail safety videos throughout Rail Safety Week. (CNW Group/CN)
CN Police officers will have custom Google Cardboard viewers to demonstrate the 360° rail safety videos throughout Rail Safety Week. (CNW Group/CN)
sHOMEWOOD, IL - CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) today kicked off its annual railway safety awareness campaign encouraging communities and the public to work together to reduce trespassing on railway property and stressing the importance of safety at grade crossings. On the first day of Rail Safety Week, CN debuted virtual reality 360° videos that will educate viewers about the potentially devastating consequences of trespassing and disregarding railway safety devices. “Trespassing fatalities along railway tracks are entirely preventable, and tragedies at railway crossings can be avoided by simply obeying crossing signals,” said Stephen Covey, chief of police and chief security officer at CN. “Through this initiative, CN is providing new ways of teaching kids, teens and adults to be safe near trains and railroad property and asking them to spread the word and help save lives.” CN Police officers will have custom Google Cardboard viewers to demonstrate the 360° rail safety videos throughout Rail Safety Week, from today through May 1. Visitors to CN’s Rail Safety Pledge website can view the videos on a desktop, laptop or mobile device, and visitors with access to any Google Cardboard viewer can experience this immersive virtual reality environment. CN is the first railway in North America to use this immersive 360° video and virtual reality experience to educate the public on the importance of rail safety. For the first time, starting during Rail Safety Week, CN is inviting the public to take The Safety Pledge online which they can easily share with their Facebook friends and Twitter followers. “Rail safety is everyone’s responsibility,” continued Covey. “By looking out for each other and working together, we can help keep our communities safer and prevent fatalities and injuries on or near railroad property. Together we can save lives and help bring crossing and trespassing accidents down to zero.” In 2015, trespasser incidents on U.S. railways resulted in 512 fatalities. Grade crossing accidents represented another serious type of rail incident. There were 2,059 crossing accidents in the U.S. in 2015, resulting in 244 fatalities and another 967 injuries The Safety Pledge asks people to share rail safety tips in their community, talk about rail safety at their local schools, or report unsafe behavior around trains or railway property. Get rail safety tips, take The Safety Pledge, and live the 360° rail safety experience on your computer or mobile device at: www.mysafetypledge.com.