Media Release
13 June 2007

Double Rail Fatality Prompts Chris Cairns To Call For Greater Care Around Level Crossings

Earlier this year former New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns established the Chris Cairns Foundation to promote rail safety. This follows the tragic loss of his own sister after a truck drove through a crossing and hit the train she was a passenger in.

Chris says last nights horrific double rail fatality in the Bay of Plenty highlights the need for more motorists to take far greater responsibility at level crossings throughout NZ.”

“It is always tragic when a young life ends with potential unfulfilled but sadness gives way to anger when we know that this accident was preventable.”

“We will never know what these two youngsters may have gone on to achieve or experience. What we do know however is that for the driver of this train this horrendous incident will live with him forever. He must not become the forgotten victim in all this.”

“We as a Foundation are in our infancy but this problem in NZ at level crossings is age old. It brings home the need to communicate that every individual has to take responsibility at level crossings”.

“The Foundation is currently working with a number of key players in the rail industry both private and government to increase rail awareness and we will be launching a major campaign in time for Australasian Rail Safety Week which starts on July 23”.

“We appreciate the support we are already getting from people like Toll, Ontrack, Land Transport New Zealand and the Police but the one person who can stop these tragedies is the person behind the wheel”.

“The real tragedy from events like last night and what happened recently in Melbourne is that they do not need to happen. They are entirely preventable” says Chris Cairns.

ends

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