Can societal collaboration prevent railway suicide?

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

2. 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. 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. Suicide in Sweden • 17 out of every 100.000 citizens • Decline with exception of age 15-24 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. 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. 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 describethe collaboration andto measure theeffects 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. Workflow • Anyonecaninitiate a traffic stop • If an exactlocation – traffic stop • If a largersearch area – temporary speed reductionuntil 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. Outcome • August 2012- May 2013 • 13-18 train stops executedeachmonth • Averagestoping time – 15 minutes • 66 people were helped to psyciatriccare • 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 washelped to psyciatriccare • Whatif 10% acutallywouldhavecommitedsuicide? Then almost 7 persons weresaved • Continue evaluation with interviews Hedqvist-Rådbo IRSC - Vancouver Canada - October 2013

14. Thank you for listening! You can find more informationabout Restrail on the website http://www.restrail.eu Or contact either of us through email helena.radbo@kau.se maria.hedqvist@trafikverket.se