A growing number of road sector organisations, international institutions (UNECE, IRU, IRF…) has also been involved in raising awareness of the risks at level crossings to change road users’ and pedestrians’ behaviour to “Act safely at level crossings”. Each year, a partner country hosts the event. Each participant may share good practices and projects to increase safety and lower the number of accidents.
History
The International Level Crossing Awareness Day is a joint commitment continuing from the success of the first European Level Crossing Awareness Day held on 25th June 2009 in 28 countries raising public awareness on the dangers of misbehaviour at level crossings.
Level crossing accidents account for only 1% of road deaths but 28% of all rail fatalities based on European statistics. Road and rail organisations from participating countries acknowledged their shared responsibility to deal with this issue by organising safety events to develop public awareness and safe behaviour at and around level crossings.
Additionally, many of them have signed the European Road Safety Charter which is an initiative of the European Union. The Charter has the objective of developing concrete actions, assessing results and further heightening awareness about the need to reduce traffic accidents and fatalities through the exchange of best practices in traffic safety in Europe, while adding a European dimension to individual or collective initiatives. #ERSCharter
ILCAD has also been part of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety from 2010. #UNRSC.
Due to the success of the first European Level Crossing Awareness Campaign (ELCAD) at national, European and international levels in 2009 it has been agreed to organise ILCAD early June in the years to come.
The members particularly welcomed the active participation of Argentina and Israel amongst non-European partners in ELCAD 2009 and the support of Canada, South Africa and the United States and look forward further develop joint actions for the next event giving it a truly international dimension.
40 countries usually join their efforts on the ILCAD day or around it organising level crossing safety activities in person or virtually spreading safety messages on internet websites or social media.