Norfolk Southern Corporation
‘I raced a train and all I got was this lousy full-body cast.' Norfolk Southern safety campaign dramatizes dangers of disregarding crossing signals and trespassing on railroad tracks.
The graphic billboards are part of Norfolk Southern's Train Your Brain public safety program, which warns motorists and pedestrians of the grave consequences of disregarding railroad signals and trespassing on railroad property. Norfolk Southern is bringing the campaign to East Tennessee – Knoxville, Chattanooga, and the Tri-Cities region – this year to remind people to use their brains, and be smart and alert around trains.
Tennessee was selected because of its high number of train-vehicle crashes and trespassing incidents. In 2012, the state ranked ninth in the nation with 66 highway-rail collisions resulting in four deaths and 18 injuries, while 10 people died and 10 were injured while trespassing on railroad tracks, equipment, and property.
"The dramatic billboards grab your attention and make you think first before you cross the tracks," said Bill Barringer, Norfolk Southern’s director grade crossing safety. “When people realize that trains can take a mile or more to stop, and the impact of a train hitting an automobile is similar to the impact of an automobile flattening a soda can, that makes a memorable impression.”
Norfolk Southern Corporation serves every major container port in the eastern United States and operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of coal, automotive, and industrial products. The rail carrier is laying tracks that will serve Greer’s Inland Port later this year.