We're off to a great start!
Entries are already starting to come electronically and by old fashioned snail mail. We’re happy to see students so engaged in this year’s theme and submitting such colorful and creative work. Ms. Sweeton’s class from East Prairie School in Skokie has submitted a number of excellent entries.
With the holiday break upon us, we hope you take the time to participate in this region-wide effort to educate as many young people as possible about the importance of staying safe by staying clear of the tracks. With so many of us out shopping, rushing to parties, concerts or school events, this is probably the most important time of year to remind parents and students about how to be safe when near railroad tracks and crossings in your community. Being a few minutes late to a holiday event is hardly a sacrifice when you consider the alternative.
To help you prepare your students as they start creating their entries and to further drive home the point of the need to take safe route when near our tracks and rail crossings, we’ve provided the following lists of contest and winter rail safety tips.
Below are a few tips to help you and your students prepare their entries:
No Photos Please!
The direct use of photography in poster contest submissions is prohibited under contest rules.
Stick to the Theme!
Give your students the best chance possible and make certain that they use this year’s theme: “Use Your Senses.”
Don’t Illustrate the Behavior You’re Trying to Prevent!
A basic rule of thumb when creating safety slogans and the images that accompany them is to demonstrate or indicate the desired – not the undesired – behavior. In this case, encourage students to avoid showing someone on or the tracks or demonstrating something that would be considered unsafe.
Keep it Simple!
Have children look at existing posters from our contest or anything that you feel effectively communicates. The idea isn’t to copy what they see but to help them identify what works and what doesn’t. In most cases, simple and direct images do the best job of communicating.
Be safe and stay safe by using and sharing these winter rail safety tips:
When Driving:
Slow down
Reduce speeds, as snow or icy conditions increase stopping distances. Always drive at a speed that allows you to stop within the distance of your headlights – so you have a clear view of the road ahead of you. This is especially important when road conditions are slippery and when driving at night. Always slow down well in advance of a highway-railway crossing.
Don’t risk getting trapped on the tracks
Proceed through a crossing only if you are sure you can completely clear it without stopping. Never stop your vehicle on the tracks.
Stay alert
When approaching a crossing, be always on the lookout for the flashing lights that signal a train is coming and be prepared to stop. Snow also may make train tracks look like the road – be alert to where the tracks are so you avoid making a deadly turn.
Turn the volume down
Inclement weather can result in schedule and platform changes. Snow can also muffle the sound of approaching train. Stay safe by ensuring that you can hear platform announcements so you don’t get caught off guard by service changes.
When Riding Metra:
Slow down
Allow plenty of time to get to your station.
No running
Walking paths may be slippery even if they are cleared and salted and train vestibules are also slippery when wet. Take the time to be safe when board and exiting the train.
Stay behind the yellow line
When everyone’s bundled up, platforms can feel even more crowded and before you know it, you’re too close to the tracks. Always be aware of the location of the platform edge and remain at least two feet back.
Never walk on the tracks
Snow-covered sidewalks can make train tracks appear to be a safe and easy walking path when just the opposite is true. Expect a train at any time, from any direction and never use the tracks as a shortcut.
As always, thank you for your interest in the Metra Safety Poster and Essay Contest. Until the contest ends on Jan. 31, 2019, we’ll continue to reach out monthly via email to share tips and links to relevant safety materials.
You can also follow the Metra Safety Poster and Essay Contest page on Facebook. Contest news, galleries featuring past winners, entry forms and classroom materials are available on our website: metracontest.com. You can also submit you entries electronically through the site or simply send them to us via email at metracontest@metrarr.com.
For further information on photography and copyright issues click here.
Questions? Email us at the address listed above or call us at 312-322-6776.
We look forward to the flood of creativity that each year’s contest brings.
Remember the theme: “Use Your Senses”
Metra Contest
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