Seatbelts on Trains

[MidnightFlyer]

There's a letter in today's Daily Express, apparently a woman spent a train whole journey stood up next to a toilet on a train to Manchester (no deatils supplied!), and she was chucked about all over the place because of this that and the other. She said she didn't feel safe onboard and wouldn't until they fitted seatbelts..., and that train travel won't be safe until this happens.

So:
Do we need seatbelts on trains?

 

[gordonthemoron]

no we don't

 

[Greenback]

No. I would suggest the woamn finds an alternative method of transport that more suits her particular sensibilities. I mean, even a Pacer doesn't throw people about!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

no we don't

Well, that was solved quickly!

Apparently the reason so many people survived the Charing X accident was that everyone stood up were wedged so solidly together

 

[adamp]

I'm guessing she was on a 185 then!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

No. I would suggest the woamn finds an alternative method of transport that more suits her particular sensibilities. I mean, even a Pacer doesn't throw people about!

I'll find the Express and copy the letter in full, the daily Express don't put their letters online, only 1000's of articles aboout Lady Diana Spencer's death

 

[Greenback]

Is this letter viewable on line? Can we go and comment on it?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I'm guessing she was on a 185 then!

I dunno, but more details from her about her journey would help!

 

[Greenback]

I doubt she made any journey. I suspect it was made up by a junior journalist trying to create a story from nothing.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Is this letter viewable on line? Can we go and comment on it?

See post #6 ^^^^^

Nope, but youb guys can always look. pretty poor website TBPH

 

[Greenback]

See post #6 ^^^^^

Nope, but youb guys can always look. pretty poor website TBPH

Missed that while I was typing!

 

[jopsuk]

I hope for your sake you didn't spend your own money on that racist Diana-obsssed rag?
(still find it funny that it is owned by a pornographer)

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I hope for your sake you didn't spend your own money on that racist Diana-obsssed rag?
(still find it funny that it is owned by a pornographer)

no I dont, but being honest its better than the bull the mirror and Guardian churn out

 

[Oliver]

I doubt she made any journey. I suspect it was made up by a junior journalist trying to create a story from nothing.

That does happen; I challenged a story in the Sunday Telegraph a few years ago when I was convinced that the alleged journey hadn't happened; finally Dominic Lawson, the Editor, had a word with the reporter and explained that she wasn't supposed to invent stories, even if they were more interesting than real life.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

To be honest, whne tyhey cant provide info on even the TOC they travelled with or route/journey they did, you do wonder. As I say, full letter to follow

 

[transportphoto]

I feel that she is missing something... seatbelts will not help those standing, I am sure that the 'throwing about' would not happen as much to those seating.

 

[me123]

There's a letter in today's Daily Express

As soon as I read that, I knew fine well that this was going to be stupid. And, of course, it was. I've stood on trains plenty of times, and I've never been "thrown around". In fact, I doubt anyone's been thrown about in the manner suggested other than in derailments and the like.

What the reader is forgetting is that trains don't really need seatbelts in the same way cars do. Trains are so well protected anyway with the signalling arrangements that incidents and emergency stops are rather unlikely to happen in the first place (when compared to being in a car and having to deal with other road users). Cars have seatbelts because near misses and emergency stops happen all the time.

If the journey actually happened, it's likely that the woman in question has simply copied the newspaper's style of reporting - shabby and sensationalised.

And, if she doesn't feel safe travelling by train, then I think we can all be glad that a certain overcrowded train is going to have one less space on it in future

 

[Greenback]

I've also stood on trains plenty of times, and never been thrown about. I'm not quite sure either how a seat belt would work in the absence of a seat...

Perhaps, though, she'd be happier (if she even exists) if standing were banned and all seats had to be reserved to avoid such discomfort?

No, I'm going to shut up. I think we've already given this 'letter' more credibility than it deserves! Lock the thread!!! lol!

 

[CarterUSM]

Three words. Random lateral movement.

 

[Dai.]

She must jerk around a lot, I can stand up in exactly the same place (busy trains have forced me too once or twice) and I can happily read a book as I travel.

 

[generalvegitable]

I heard somewhere (can't remember where and its probably wrong) that with seatbelts train travel would be more dangerous.

 

[asylumxl]

Chances are she was probably thrown around by hoodlums, after all, she was in Manchester ...

 

[chris89]

You will always get these people really. I've never been 'Thrown' around on a train. Most likely another anti-rail lobby person. Haven't they tried to get Seat belts fitted but was ruled out due to safety concerns?

Chris

 

[LE Greys]

You will always get these people really. I've never been 'Thrown' around on a train. Most likely another anti-rail lobby person. Haven't they tried to get Seat belts fitted but was ruled out due to safety concerns?

Chris

If we had them, would people actually wear them? I remember a number of times they suggested introducing seatbelts on buses, and nobody ever wore them. Still, if you remember what happened in Ladbroke Grove, jammed seatbelts could have killed many people. It's a case of balancing risks, and I think that seatbelts are a greater risk in an accident than might involve hundreds of gallons of diesel than not having them.

 

[swt_passenger]

If we had them, would people actually wear them? I remember a number of times they suggested introducing seatbelts on buses, and nobody ever wore them. Still, if you remember what happened in Ladbroke Grove, jammed seatbelts could have killed many people. It's a case of balancing risks, and I think that seatbelts are a greater risk in an accident than might involve hundreds of gallons of diesel than not having them.

The usual reply to this is that if you had seatbelts on trains, and no standing allowed, you'd need compulsory reservations. Then if you had no standing on 'trains' would it apply to the London Underground as well? What about recent introductions like the LO 378s (I'm sure trains with a similar layout will arrive eventually on other metro routes as well).

I'm sure RSSB havedone research to prove that seat belts aren't necessary on trains. Like most journalists, I can't be ar$ed to look for it either...

 

[Oliver]

The roughest journey I recall was at the very back of a Metropolitan line train between Kings Cross and Barbican; the end of the coach swung around big-time as we went through the points.

 

[TDK]

The usual reply to this is that if you had seatbelts on trains, and no standing allowed, you'd need compulsory reservations. Then if you had no standing on 'trains' would it apply to the London Underground as well? What about recent introductions like the LO 378s (I'm sure trains with a similar layout will arrive eventually on other metro routes as well).

I'm sure RSSB havedone research to prove that seat belts aren't necessary on trains. Like most journalists, I can't be ar$ed to look for it either...

If they had seatbelts on trains there would be more fatalities if there was a serious incident due to the problems with emergency evacuations especially if fire was involved, I have never heard anything so rediculous in my life!

 

[dstrat]

Seatbelts actually are of some benefit, if some of the high speed derailments are examined you will see that many (if not most?) of the fatalities are due to people being thrown through windows.

And yes, even though this article is prolly made up, walking through a 225 when its rounding a corner at 125 definately will want to push you over! Standing however, its rubbish.

 

[Geezertronic]

Seatbelts actually are of some benefit, if some of the high speed derailments are examined you will see that many (if not most?) of the fatalities are due to people being thrown through windows.

I would suggest that a high speed train accident (110mph+) in a coach with seatbelts would provide more fatalities due to whiplash/neck/spine injuries and maybe a slicing effect of the belt against the skin since the belts are still going to be of the 3 point variety and not racing style. At least if you are thrown around in a coach your forward momentum is not restricted to the seat you are sat at

 

[gordonthemoron]

I didn't think Electras could do anything above a slight curve at 125mph
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
also, ICEs, TGVs, AVEs and Shinkansen don't have seatbelts. Why should the british be different?