I try to ask myself how one can really protect himself in a train accident. Knowing how massive and heavy a train is, a train accident is surely disastrous.
Reading the article, “Railroad Accident Lawyer Says: Buckle Your Seatbelts”, posted December 14, once again highlights safety measures when riding trains. The article focused on collisions and how passengers should protect themselves during such incidents.
The article reported that about 500 people are injured in train crashes every year and these injuries are often due to the lack of seatbelts in most trains. To illustrate how a train seatbelt can prevent injuries during accidents, experts from the Federal Railroad Association reportedly conducted a test using a dummy. The findings concluded that a seatbelt could help prevent passenger injuries during collisions or train accidents.
As an added safety feature, today’s trains have reportedly set up compartments to reduce the distance people would fly in the event of a major collision.
Other than injuries from collisions, railroad deaths also occur at crossings. These accidents often involved motorists who disobey traffic signs and railroad signals.
The article also pointed out that because of the structure of the tracks and signals, train collisions are nearly always due to negligence, either human error or faulty equipment.
While it cannot be discounted that the seatbelt is a good additional safety measure in trains, attention must also be given to the proper maintenance of railroad tracks and equipment. As many train accidents) may be attributed to the human factor, authorities must also make improvements on the conditions of our railroad tracks and equipment. We have to bear in mind that the safety of train passengers depends mostly on these mechanical parts that are often unseen and thus neglected.
