July 19 2007

Chris Cairns Foundation Launches Billboard Campaign

Today will see the launch of a major billboard campaign by the Chris Cairns Foundation in the central North Island as part of National Rail Safety Week. This was launched last night in Parliament by Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven.

The Chris Cairns Foundation has been formed to raise rail safety awareness around the rail network and was launched at a major fund raising dinner in February this year.

Chris Cairns Foundation Charity Manager Patrick Jackson says the billboard sites became available thanks to the generosity of the Manawatu Police District who has previously used these sites for a drink driving campaigns.

Ontrack who manage the rail network have also given the Foundation 12 sites nationwide that they had available to display the billboards.

He says “the opportunity to use these sites was ideal for the Foundation to really push out the message that the rail network is a dangerous place and extreme care should be taken around it at all times”.

“The Foundations main message of ‘Don’t run the Risk’ focuses on the point that everyone that uses the crossings around the rail network needs to take major responsibility for themselves. Level crossing accidents are preventable”.

“Chris Cairns has built a strong relationship with Manawatu police due to their rail safety initiative ‘Cops in Cabs’ which he helped launch last year in Palmerston North”.

“These billboards will also feature as advertisements within magazines nationwide in partnership with Land Transport New Zealand. The Foundation is extremely appreciative of the pro active approach taken by the government agency”.

“Already this year we have had 16 level crossing accidents that have resulted in 5 fatalities. The aim of the Foundation is do all it can to raise awareness so more families don’t have to go through the pain and suffering of losing loved ones”.

The Foundation is looking at holding a number of events to support this important message of rail safety. Chris Cairns intends next year to walk from Auckland to Rolleston, the site at which his sister Louise died when a cement truck failed to stop at a level crossing and collided with the carriage she was a passenger in. Dates will be announced later this year.

Billboard locations:

- Mangaweka (State Highway 1)
- Tangiwai (State Highway 49)
- Dannevirke (State Highway 2)
- Shannon/Opiki (State Highway 56 & 57)
- Kimberley Road Levin (State Highway 57)
- Woodville (State Highway 2)

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