6 Dead, 70+ Injured in DC Metro Crash

[Icy Tea]

There has to be a standing law that any operator of a moving vehicle, particularly a public tranportation vehicle , cannot operate a cell phone.

[KevK]

Aren't these trains supposed to have certain fail safe features that stop them from hitting other trains in front of them? I recently saw a movie called The Taking of Pelham 123 and they stated in the movie that, in order for a track light to be green, the train in front has to clear it and if the train behind it runs the red, it is supposed to be automatically stopped. Is that just "in the movies" as they say?

[KevK]

Originally Posted by Icy Tea

There has to be a standing law that any operator of a moving vehicle, particularly a public tranportation vehicle , cannot operate a cell phone.

I actually agree with that. I would not even allow them to possess a cell phone on the job. But we don't yet know that contributed to this.

[GregW]

The "block signal system" was invented over 100 years ago to prevent this sort of accident. Look up train signals in Wikipedia for more info. The moving train should have automatically stopped.

The devastation was extensive because of the tremendous amount of energy stored in a moving train. In a wreak that energy is dissipated by wrinkling sheet metal.

FWIW – the incident in California years ago was blamed on the operator being on a cell phone but apparently the block signal lamps were so filthy they could not be seen in daylight. The operator apparently went through the signal thinking it was green and the automatic brake activator did not work.

The number of recent transportation accidents id probably attributable to the fact that random events tend to clump or they would not be random.

[ovcatto]

Originally Posted by KevK

Aren't these trains supposed to have certain fail safe features that stop them from hitting other trains in front of them? I recently saw a movie called The Taking of Pelham 123 and they stated in the movie that, in order for a track light to be green, the train in front has to clear it and if the train behind it runs the red, it is supposed to be automatically stopped. Is that just "in the movies" as they say?

From the above link to the Washington Post story, the Metro trains are completely automated, the "drivers" only having the responsibility for closing the doors at each stop. Train speed, distance between trains and braking are controlled by computer, so such accidents are supposedly "impossible." And therein may lie the chief problem. Any system that is touted as impossible to fail, will, but will at the same time foster a false sense of security in too many human operators.

Whenever the human control element is removed the belief that the "system " will carry the day usually leads to disaster, see the Titanic, Chernobyl, the Airbuses.

[Vic_Vega]

Originally Posted by Icy Tea

There has to be a standing law that any operator of a moving vehicle, particularly a public tranportation vehicle , cannot operate a cell phone.

There already is an FRA emergency order that bans cell phone usage by train crews, which was issued after the Metrolink crash.

[Moth]

Originally Posted by SouthCity09

wonder how long before the right tries to score pts with this one with something like "if we didnt have public transportation, this would have never happened"

We'll never know as you beat them to the punch.


<shakes head>

[limapie]

Originally Posted by Okiegirlfriend

I wondered how long it would take them to blame Bush!

O wondered where you were hanging out! Politics, hah?
It will hurt your brains all the ins and outs of the workings
of what they call a government.

I heard this morning that there was a warning to the trains.
I didn't read the article so don't know much more about it.

[AeroGuyDC]

Originally Posted by ovcatto

From the above link to the Washington Post story, the Metro trains are completely automated, the "drivers" only having the responsibility for closing the doors at each stop. Train speed, distance between trains and braking are controlled by computer, so such accidents are supposedly "impossible." And therein may lie the chief problem. Any system that is touted as impossible to fail, will, but will at the same time foster a false sense of security in too many human operators.

Whenever the human control element is removed the belief that the "system " will carry the day usually leads to disaster, see the Titanic, Chernobyl, the Airbuses.

[gallowsCalibrator]

Folks, I do not see where this is a controversial issue. This is a tragic incident that had zero (as we currently know) to do with politics or any sort of controversy. If you wish to discuss this terrible accident, there is a running thread in the Washington DC section.