Car vs train! 4 fatal driver misconceptions


In 2020, there were 204 level crossing accidents, in which 95 people were injured. In 2021, despite the increase in fines, there were even more accidents – 133 people were already victims of 219 accidents.

If you look at this year’s 10-month stats, the picture as a whole looks encouraging – there’s a decline across all indicators. So in this period there was 171 accidents, 100 people were injured, 30 died.

These indicators can be minimized if the most common misconceptions among drivers are eliminated.

Misconception 1. The train is far away, I will have time to pass

In reality. It is almost impossible to determine the speed and distance to the level crossing from the silhouette of the train. (In the dark it is also difficult to understand which direction the train is moving.)

As sharp as our eyesight is, the “trap” of perception plays against us: all large objects appear to be slower than they actually are. For example, it may seem to someone that a hamster moves faster than an elephant. Simply because a hamster travels a distance greater than the length of its body in a unit of time.

Misconception 2. The train is not visible, in extreme cases the driver brakes


In reality. Every driver can estimate the length of the braking distance of his own car. It depends on the speed, condition and type of road surface, as well as the efficiency of the tires and braking system. On average, the braking distance of a passenger car from a speed of 60 km/h to a complete stop is 23 m on asphalt, and 59 m on ice.

But it is very difficult to accurately calculate (or at least “estimate”) the length of the train’s stopping distance. In addition to speed, weather conditions and the condition of the tracks, it is influenced by many more factors:

  • the mass and length of the train (for example, in freight trains, it often takes a while for the braking wave to propagate from the locomotive to the last car. The first car starts to slow down before the last).
  • track profile (even a small incline can “add” more than 100 meters to the braking distance of a freight train traveling at 60 km / h).
  • number and type of wagons;
  • type and series of locomotive;
  • brake point.

Even machinists use tabular average data.

Therefore, you should not even try to “estimate”. It is better to assume that the braking distance of a train weighing several thousand tons can be up to 1.5 km, and the driver can see you 300-400 meters. It is easy to calculate that you have practically no chance.

Car vs train!  4 fatal driver misconceptionsThe train can drag a passenger car hooked around the corner of the car for several kilometers until it stops. A similar (and terrible!) accident happened on November 21, 2021 near Barnaul.

The train can drag a passenger car hooked around the corner of the car for several kilometers until it stops. A similar (and terrible!) accident happened on November 21, 2021 near Barnaul.

Misunderstanding 3. Emergency braking is safe for train and passengers


In reality. Not always.

First, if the brakes are applied at a significant speed, passengers can be injured when they fall from the top shelves, be injured by objects flying off the tables, or get scalded with boiling water from an overturned glass.

Secondly, emergency braking damages the technical condition of the train.

Thirdly, such an emergency disrupts the timetable of the following trains and can cause serious losses.

Drivers are in any case obliged to brake – even if it is clear that a collision is unavoidable (in most cases). If parts of the rolling stock and railway infrastructure are damaged as a result of an emergency braking or an accident, the driver at fault pays for the damage to the track. Affected train passengers can also file claims (including compensation for moral damage).

Misconception 4. The train will hit the side – it’s not that scary


In reality. A blow to the side is worse than a blow to the forehead: there is less spare iron on the side that could absorb the energy of the blow. People are protected only by the central pillar and doors.

This is confirmed by crash tests according to the method EuroNCAP. During the tests, cars traveling at 60 km/h were hit on the side with a collapsible barrier made of aluminum honeycombs (it imitates the front part of a passenger car weighing 1.5–2 tons). Even with such an impact, people (dummies) in a car without side airbags or curtain airbags sustain serious injuries, sometimes irreconcilable with life.

What can we say about a collision with a train that is incomparably heavier than even a truck loaded to the eyeballs. For example, the mass of a long-distance train of 20 wagons averages 1,400 tons (more than 100 wagons!). The maximum speed of passenger trains is 160 km/h. High-speed trains travel at speeds of 200 km/h or more.

The average weight of a freight train can be up to 7,000 tons. In addition, the maximum permissible speed of such a behemoth reaches 80-90 km / h.

Car vs train!  4 fatal driver misconceptionsWith such an impact, the only way to escape is to have time to leave the car before the collision. Keep the driver’s door open when attempting to exit a stationary vehicle.

With such an impact, the only way to escape is to have time to leave the car before the collision. Keep the driver’s door open when attempting to exit a stationary vehicle.

Beware of the train – don’t break the traffic rules!

When crossing railway lines, do not break the traffic rules, no matter how fast you are. Trying to save time too often costs not only a broken machine, but also lives.

Source: Z R

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