Four Children Killed Level Crossing Netherlands

[zoneking]

This is very sad, The Netherlands has a very large number of level crossings and people using bikes.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-45586492

Four children from a Dutch day-care centre, two of them sisters, have died in a collision involving a train and an electric cart driven by a supervisor.

The level crossing has barriers for cycle paths as well as cars, but the cart carrying the five children is thought to have gone under the barrier on a bike path before it was hit.

The woman driving the cart was heard by one witness shouting that the brakes were not working. Others said 15 cars had been waiting at the level crossing when the cart had gone past without slowing down....

 

[Groningen]

Shortly before the crash the driver said that the brakes were not working. Question will be why she did not crash in the barrier or drove her electric bike to the left or right. Every other than against a train is less worse. There are also available in the UK; Babboe is the main tradename.

Source: Bakfiets nl

 

[eastdyke]

A truly unthinkable tragedy.
I know that The Netherlands has a substantial network of segregated cycleways and perhaps routes are available that do not conflict in any place with normal road vehicles.
But if available in UK are these 'bikes' really designed to carry 5 children in safety?

 

[Groningen]

To the last sentence: yes otherwise they would not exist, but nor responsisble behavior can alwas go wrong.

Even the PM, King and Queen of the Netherlands have reacted to this tragedy.

From 1 family 2 are dead and 1 injured.

 

[eastdyke]

The original OP link has been updated to now include a picture of a 'cart':

 

[EssexGonzo]

Such a shame.

These bikes are common in Netherlands and deemed quite safe as they never really get to an even remotely dangerous speed, they're actually quite stable and many cycle paths are segregated. Certainly safe for the child than an individual young child on a bike. The culture and attitude towards cyclist is way different from the UK which also reduces risk significantly.

So yes, the cyclist could have been behaving completely responsibly and this could just be a tragic accident or equipment failure. But we don't really know yet.

 

[Groningen]

It is all part of an inquiry, but that bike is of course a total loss. Sometimes i think that kids should drive for themself and not be transported by bike, car or bus. But with 5 persons on the bike the age is not high.

 

[AlexNL]

It's important to note that the type of vehicle wasn't a regular "bakfiets", a bike with a large cart in front of it.

The vehicle involved is an electric "Stint" made by a Dutch company, Stintum. A Stint is a sort of combination between a Segway and a bakfiets. The 'driver' operates the vehicle by moving forwards or backwards, like on a Segway.

Stint vehicles have gained a lot in popularity in the Netherlands over the past couple of years, the electric vehicles are allowed on cycle paths which allow them to bypass traffic. They're used for all sorts of activities, many projects built on the Stint platform. PostNL use them to deliver mail in city centres.

On the Dutch version of the Stintum website, they have a model tailored to "BSO" (buitenschoolse opvang, after-school care) which has seats and safety belts. This is the type of vehicle involved in this morning's crash.

 

[LOL The Irony]

It's important to note that the type of vehicle wasn't a regular "bakfiets", a bike with a large cart in front of it.

The vehicle involved is an electric "Stint" made by a Dutch company, Stintum. A Stint is a sort of combination between a Segway and a bakfiets. The 'driver' operates the vehicle by moving forwards or backwards, like on a Segway.

Stint vehicles have gained a lot in popularity in the Netherlands over the past couple of years, the electric vehicles are allowed on cycle paths which allow them to bypass traffic. They're used for all sorts of activities, many projects built on the Stint platform. PostNL use them to deliver mail in city centres.

On the Dutch version of the Stintum website, they have a model tailored to "BSO" (buitenschoolse opvang, after-school care) which has seats and safety belts. This is the type of vehicle involved in this morning's crash.

That doesn't look like the easiest thing to do emergency maneuvers in. If it was a failure of something, it wouldn't be easy to stop.

 

[Groningen]

Topspeed is 17 kilometers an hour. That "thing" really broke the barrier of the level crossing. It was a stopping service where it stopped in Oss West and Oss. Speed should at the most 80 kilometers an hour.

Source: nu.nl

 

[Ash Bridge]

This is absolutely awful regarding the children, and being a parent I just cannot even imagine what their families are feeling at the moment. The thing is nobody has yet mentioned the poor driver of the EMU involved, after being involved in an incident like this through no fault of his own, it is surely going to be incredibly difficult to get over the devastating traumatic effects of this.

 

[AlexNL]

ILT, the Dutch equivalent of the RSSB, are investigating whether electromagnetic interference from the level crossing might have played a role in Thursday's accident. Since Thursday's crash, several Stint users have claimed that their vehicle malfunctioned in the vicinity of a level crossing.

https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/547677...raling-spoorwegovergang-oss-treinongeluk.html

 

[eastdyke]

ILT, the Dutch equivalent of the RSSB, are investigating whether electromagnetic interference from the level crossing might have played a role in Thursday's accident. Since Thursday's crash, several Stint users have claimed that their vehicle malfunctioned in the vicinity of a level crossing.

https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/547677...raling-spoorwegovergang-oss-treinongeluk.html

Or perhaps (co-incidentally) in the vicinity of the OHLE?
I think that stint users need to be rather careful as to use pending further knowledge.

 

[AlexNL]

Or perhaps (co-incidentally) in the vicinity of the OHLE?

That is what will be looked at, yes.

I think that stint users need to be rather careful as to use pending further knowledge.

Parents are obviously concerned. Some after-school care institutions have stopped using Stints for the time being, others have adjusted their routes so that they no longer have to cross the railway.

A fundraiser for the victims and their relatives has raised more than € 225.000 at the time of writing.

 

[eastdyke]

I note that Stints are sold with a short training course and may be used by anyone over 16.
Yet they are available from on-line auctions, presumably without the training course.
eg:
https://www.auctionista.co/EN/Lot/1192248/Electric-wagon-Brand-STINT

Electric wagon, Brand: STINT, transport of up to 10 children, includes lightweight sitting area, maximum speed 15km / h, range 25 km, weight approx 188 kg, maximum load 300kg, length 234cm, width 100cm, including charger (to close to standard socket), tire wheels (diameter 40 cm)

And that's up to around half a ton when loaded!

 

[jon0844]

I really do fear for all of the new electrically assisted bikes, scooters, even the new Segway rollerskates. I never knew such a cart as this existed until this tragedy.

There are rules that seem too old to really regulate them, and ways to speed them up in software to get around what limits are imposed on them.

Seeing people going at some speed on a e-scooter, and of course e-bikes, I am sure we're going to see many more tragic accidents as time goes on. Especially when people import suspect Chinese clones which add further risks from faulty chargers and batteries.

 

[Groningen]

The railwaycrossing is directly after the railwaystation of Oss West. Co-ordinates for Google Maps are: 51.758518, 5.507313. From the end of the platform to the accident site is 40 meters; speed should have been at the most 30 to 40 kilometers an hour. Train departed at 8.16 and 7 minutes later it was mentioned on our P2000: a1 dia: 5345wz: braakstraat oss object: station ns station oss west rit: 111037.

There is now a discussion to remove all level crossings in the Netherlands. But that takes a lot of money and that in a overpopulated country. And as if accidents do not happen elsewhere. Also: they are going to look whether magnetic fields from the railway crossing influence the Stint. But those Stints cross the level crossing on a daily basis and it went never went wrong.

In front of the train there was a camera. It seems it recorded the whole event. All those people who see will become nightmares. There are drivers/engineers who in training get an accident and some who untill retirement see nothing bad happen in front of the train.

There is a kind of crowdfunding going on. Last figure i know is 200.000 euro to cover funeral of the 4 children, all personal of police, emergency, railway, fireservice and those 2 injured person (child and the woman that drove the Stint).

This a little better picture. Left of the train you see the NS sign of the station.

Source: Brabants Dagblad

 

[theageofthetra]

I really do fear for all of the new electrically assisted bikes, scooters, even the new Segway rollerskates. I never knew such a cart as this existed until this tragedy.

There are rules that seem too old to really regulate them, and ways to speed them up in software to get around what limits are imposed on them.

Seeing people going at some speed on a e-scooter, and of course e-bikes, I am sure we're going to see many more tragic accidents as time goes on. Especially when people import suspect Chinese clones which add further risks from faulty chargers and batteries.

An awful incident. I am pretty sure these sort of vehicles would be illegal for road use in the UK.

We have just had a pedestrian here killed by an electric bike- it's a matter of time before some new legislation will be needed here as the archaic victorian rules on assisted vehicles just don't cover some of the very high powered electric bikes which are being imported from China and the US.

The next thing will be one of the high capacity battery packs going into meltdown on a packed train.

 

[Bletchleyite]

We have just had a pedestrian here killed by an electric bike- it's a matter of time before some new legislation will be needed here as the archaic victorian rules on assisted vehicles just don't cover some of the very high powered electric bikes which are being imported from China and the US.

There is some kind of obsession just about everywhere with new cycling laws - but there is no need. "Overpowered" or otherwise outside spec electric cycles are illegal - simple as that. They are legally motor vehicles but do not and cannot meet the Construction and Use Regulations and therefore, like the likes of "mini motos", can only be used on wholly private land. This is just yet another thing that can't be enforced by camera and requires us to return Police Officers to our streets from which they are near totally absent.

 

[Groningen]

Most pedestrians are killed by cars/trucks. Are we are going to outlaw them too? The vehicle is not to blaim; it is the driver. Please step all in your cars and with cyclist and pedestrians left; no one will be killed anymore.

 

[NSEFAN]

Most pedestrians are killed by cars/trucks. Are we are going to outlaw them too? The vehicle is not to blaim; it is the driver. Please step all in your cars and with cyclist and pedestrians left; no one will be killed anymore.

However in this case the vehicle itself could have malfunctioned, in which case it would very much be the fault of the vehicle.

 

[Groningen]

The female driver said shortly for the cross, that the brakes failed. But also the gashandle?! If you put your foot of the peddle in the car or handle on a scooter, than the vehicle should become slower in speed and come to a standstill. With 17 kilometers and 5 kids (weight of say 70 kilo) the Stint should stop in a few meters.

 

[jon0844]

I agree that proper policing could probably solve many problems without new laws, but I do think it's time to revise them or just re-phrase them as I suspect a lot of people think e-bikes/scooters/rollerskates are legal.. and in some cases depending on speed, they possibly are. If not here, abroad, which makes it especially complicated now people watch reviews on YouTube that may not be localised.

It's also pretty obvious that when something is artificially limited in software, there will be ways to hack it. Perhaps modifying a bike to make it go faster should be an offence in its own right?

Also, I'm sure it won't be too long until an e-bike or scooter does indeed catch fire due to it being a dodgy cheap Chinese import, and when it does I am sure it will either cause real damage on its own, or from the panic if it happens when stowed on a busy train.

 

[Groningen]

Yes; exploding batteries can happen! This from 1 month ago, but they are rare. Exploding batteries from a smartphone happen more (i believe).

Source: De Gelderlander

 

[jon0844]

Yes; exploding batteries can happen! This from 1 month ago, but they are rare. Exploding batteries from a smartphone happen more (i believe).

Source: De Gelderlander

Many more mobiles than these things so I guess it's a given that phones will catch fire more often, but there was a spare of dodgy 'hoverboards' so one of these bikes or scooters is going to go up at the wrong time and place I'm sure.

If it does then I'm sure there will be calls to ban them entirely as a kneejerk reaction.

 

[dgl]

Generally devices needing a lot of power use slightly different battery chemistry to those in smartphones where the current needed to be supplied at a given moment is lower.
These lithium batteries are also safer and are less likely to fail compared to a mobile phone battery, however if shorted a lot of power is released in a very short space of time and that can only end badly.

 

[AlexNL]

This just in: as of October 2nd 2018, 0:00 (midnight), the use of Stint vehicles on public roads is forbidden. The Minister of Infrastructure, Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, has come to this decision after an initial investigation into the Stint vehicles showed that there are flaws in the construction which can lead to a Stint becoming unstoppable.

 

[HowardGWR]

This just in: as of October 2nd 2018, 0:00 (midnight), the use of Stint vehicles on public roads is forbidden. The Minister of Infrastructure, Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, has come to this decision after an initial investigation into the Stint vehicles showed that there are flaws in the construction which can lead to a Stint becoming unstoppable.

I don't think she could decide any other way, at present. My grandchildren in NL have been sometimes lifted in this way. I have been most impressed when I have seen them in operation. They have been a boon to pre-school /post-school carers for children whose parents both work (as my grandchildren's parents do). I hope the investigation does not reveal a cause being interference from the OLE, but if it does, it will at least mean only trips that cross rail lines will be affected and then perhaps a work-around will be found.

 

[AlexNL]

I hope the investigation does not reveal a cause being interference from the OLE, but if it does, it will at least mean only trips that cross rail lines will be affected and then perhaps a work-around will be found.

According to the preliminary investigation (the "feitenrelaas" document) the Stint vehicles can remain stuck in the highest power notch when a power cable temporarily disconnects while the vehicle is in motion. This happens when a soldered connection fails, high currents flow through the cables and heat management is inadequate.

The handbrake is not strong enough to stop a Stint which is stuck in the highest power notch. Turning the ignition key would work, but this is counterintuitive as the key is on the same side as the handbrake (left hand side), it is difficult to reach using your right hand.

Last weekend there have been discussions between the manufacturer and the authorities, based on the initial findings. The manufacturer decided against a total recall and also did not want to issue an advice to suspend usage. This is why the Minister decided to outright ban the vehicles from running on public roads.

 

[jon0844]

According to the preliminary investigation (the "feitenrelaas" document) the Stint vehicles can remain stuck in the highest power notch when a power cable temporarily disconnects while the vehicle is in motion. This happens when a soldered connection fails, high currents flow through the cables and heat management is inadequate.

The handbrake is not strong enough to stop a Stint which is stuck in the highest power notch. Turning the ignition key would work, but this is counterintuitive as the key is on the same side as the handbrake (left hand side), it is difficult to reach using your right hand.

Last weekend there have been discussions between the manufacturer and the authorities, based on the initial findings. The manufacturer decided against a total recall and also did not want to issue an advice to suspend usage. This is why the Minister decided to outright ban the vehicles from running on public roads.

Bloody hell. One wonders how safe all these other (sorry to sound like a broken record) assisted bikes/scooters/buggies/shoes and whatever else someone decides to bung a motor on will be. And what responsibility the manufacturers will take for design flaws like this.