It is the job of organizations like the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate crashes, determine the cause, and implement regulations to help avoid future crashes.
Last week 25 people were killed and 135 injured in a Los Angeles Metrolink train crash.
Robert Sanchez was the Metrolink engineer on board during the train crash last week that killed 25 including Sanchez.
Preliminary investigations are showing that Sanchez may have been using his mobile phone to text message friends right before the crash occurred. Some experts are saying that he did not adhere to the red signal warnings that mean that the engineer needs to apply the train’s brakes.
It can be quite difficult for families and friends of victims of those that died in the crash to hear that there is something that could have been done to avoid the crash. But, that is the discussion now.
For decades safety officials have been requesting that certain sophisticated warning devices be installed. In southern California there are more freight trains and commuters trains sharing tracks than any other area in the US.
But yet do not have the same safety standards as you see in areas like Chicago and Detroit. Safety experts get frustrated when they hear statements like the collision avoidance system, also known as positive train control, is not being implemented because it costs too much and it’s not proven to be reliable enough.
This system utilizes technology like communication between the train and Global Positioning System. This will allow for monitoring of location and speeds of the train. If there is a human error as may be the case in this crash, where an engineer does not apply breaks when needed, the system will automatically apply the brakes for him.
Safety experts are hoping that officials will see the need and the value of such systems. A former senior director from NTSB openly says that he’s not surprised about the crash, that “They know what to do to solve these things.”
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