Spain’s high-speed train crash sparks another discussion on the “safest seats”, experts reveal the brutal truth

Spain happened on the 28thhigh speed rail A collision in which a high-speed train collided with another train parked on the tracks, killing at least 68 people, has also drawn attention to whether where passengers sit affects their chances of survival. It is generally believed that it is best to avoid the front and rear of the train and choose seats in the middle car with their backs towards the direction of travel, but railway safety experts say this can only be considered a rough guideline.

new York Times According to reports, experts pointed out that seat selection can affect the chances of survival to some extent, but the type of accident is more important than the position of the seat. John Goglia, a former member of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and independent safety consultant, said that no seat is absolutely safe in all circumstances.

Robert Paswell, distinguished professor emeritus of civil engineering at the City College of New York, noted that serious rail accidents are quite rare, and the causes and circumstances of accidents vary. They may be subject to collisions or derailments due to track defects. “This time a train collided with the rear of another train, so the safest position for passengers in the train that was being chased would have been the front car, but you can’t know in advance that something like this is going to happen,” he said.

Still, experts are trying to find out the safest seats in trains. Traditionally, the middle car is considered the safest, because in the event of a frontal collision, the front-most car will absorb the impact force; In a pursuit situation, the car furthest behind will suffer the strongest impact.

Jim Matthews, CEO and president of the Rail Passengers Association, which works to improve passenger rail services in the United States, said that as a general rule, he prefers to sit in the middle car, but that doesn’t mean safety is guaranteed. “Any safety device may be ineffective depending on the nature and severity of the accident,” he stressed.

Some experts believe that aisle-side seats in the middle carriage are safest with their backs to the direction of travel. When the train stops suddenly, the bodies of passengers facing their backs in the direction of travel will be pushed towards the back of the seat rather than forward, reducing the risk of neck injury and injury from flying objects. Aisle-side seats also keep passengers away from potentially broken windows.

However, the accident on the 28th showed that this logic of decision could be completely reversed. The front carriage of the moving high-speed train was damaged beyond recognition, and the last two carriages of the train parked on the track were overturned. Goglia said the safest position for passengers in a train being chased is the front car, because the further away from the impact point, the more cars there are to absorb the impact energy.

Even if you choose the “right seat”, it doesn’t mean your safety is guaranteed. Unsecured luggage can become a high-speed flying object, and passengers standing in the aisle, car connection or toilet are at greater risk. Experts say the seat may not be able to withstand such a strong impact. “It’s possible to die if you’re standing, but you’re also likely to die if you’re sitting because the seats don’t have seat belts,” Goglia said.

Alan Zarembski, director of the Railroad Engineering and Safety Program at the University of Delaware, said he has not seen any studies that say which seats are the safest. The general advice is to avoid the front and rear of the train and sit in the middle carriage. However, if a train derails due to broken rails or wheels, “any carriage on the train may derail.” He said passengers are most likely to be injured when a train derails and then overturns.