Making a Stand for Safety

Railroad passengers, unlike air passengers or automobile occupants, are allowed to stand while traveling. This article questions the safety of this practice, arguing that standing increases the risk of injury in a railroad accident. Several railroad industry officials have argued that standing room is necessary because it would be too expensive to provide seats for all passengers at peak periods. The author suggests that if a safer railroad is an important objective, then the development of improved safety for passengers is a necessary expenditure. Recommendations for improving safety include limiting standing passengers and confining them to a specified area fitted with suitable restraining features and passive protection measures. Infrastructure should also be improved to permit the development of greater capacity trains that incorporate better safety measures.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/49957551
• Authors:
  • Hammond, Ian
• Publication Date: 2007-4

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: pp 40-41
• Serial:
  • Rail Professional
  • Issue Number: 121
  • Publisher: Cambridge Publishers Limited
  • ISSN: 1476-2196
  • Serial URL: http://www.cpl.biz/ourwork/general/rp.htm

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Human factors in crashes; Infrastructure; Occupant protection devices; Passenger cars; Passenger trains; Person capacity; Railroad crashes; Railroad safety; Recommendations; Restraint systems
• Uncontrolled Terms: Standing passengers
• Subject Areas: Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Railroads; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01049756
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 25 2007 10:34AM