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

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

3. Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013
Railway in Sweden
Trafikverket
14700 km
80% electrified
560 stations
6.2 billion passenger km
110 fatalities 2010
Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

4. Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013
Suicide in Sweden
17 out of every citizens
Decline with exception of age years
Vision Zero
Killed in the transport system
Suicides
Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

5. Railway suicide in Sweden
7% 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
Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

6. Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013
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
Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

7. Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013
Pilot project
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
Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

8. 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
Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

9. 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
Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

10. 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
Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

11. 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
Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

12. 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
Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

13. 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
Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

14. Thank you for listening!
You can find more information about Restrail on the website
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