Can societal collaboration prevent railway suicide? Helena Rådbo, Karlstad University Maria Hedqvist, Trafikverket

Content The Swedish Railway system Railway suicide Restrail Pilot project Societal collaboration Results this far and discussion 2 Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

Railway in Sweden 3 Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013 Trafikverket km 80% electrified 560 stations 6.2 billion passenger km 110 fatalities 2010

Suicide in Sweden 4 Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October out of every citizens Decline with exception of age years Vision Zero –Killed in the transport system –Suicides

Railway suicide in Sweden 5 Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October % of all suicides occur in the transport system (all modes) 70% of the fatalities in the railway system 5% of the total no. of suicides each year

Restrail Co-funded EC FP7 Coordinated by UIC 17 partners – 12 countries Reduce the occurrence of suicide and trespass and service disruptions Analysis and identification of cost effective prevention and mitigation measures 6 Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

Pilot project 7 Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013 Measures assessed as promising or recommended Project already in process Important to evaluate and not just believe that it works! Purpose is to describe the collaboration and to measure the effects

Societal collaboration to prevent Railway suicides A model on how stakeholders should act Involves all threats of suicides outside of a persons home Involved stakeholders –The Police authority – The Emergency rescue services – SOS Emergency services – The Ambulance services – The psychiatric care units – The Transport Administration 8 Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

Participants and their responsiblity The Police Authority –always alerted to the threat of suicide The Emergency Rescue service –provided by municipalities SOS Emergency Service –is the organization that first receives an alarm 9 Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

Participants responsiblity The Traffic Control Center –is alerted to introduce a temporary stop of the traffic on the identified site The ambulance service –is dispatched to help with transportation and medical expertise The Transport Administration – Accident site manager is called to the site to make sure that the track is safe for S & R Psychiatric care –are informed of threats of suicide and are prepared to receive the suicidal person 10 Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

Workflow Anyone can initiate a traffic stop If an exact location – traffic stop If a larger search area – temporary speed reduction until the person is found S & R conducted by police, rescue services and ambulance services Ambulance transport the person to psychiatric care 11 Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

Outcome August May 2013 –13-18 train stops executed each month – Average stoping time – 15 minutes –66 people were helped to psyciatric care –15 deceased –28 traffic stops due to crime 12 Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

Important collaboration It is the system that reacts – not the person in need of help 66 persons was helped to psyciatric care –What if 10% acutally would have commited suicide? Then almost 7 persons were saved Continue evaluation with interviews 13 Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

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