Re: Black boxes for all trains

["Bill Guest" <bill.guest@paradise.net.nz>]

IMO, the old technology is ample for heritage operations, which are
generally carefully controlled low speed movements. But EMUs carry large
numbers of passengers, with short headways, and have only one person in the
cab. They should certainly be fitted with modern black boxes.

Further, depending on the nature of the operation and the likelihood of a
serious accident, I think there should be a driver's cab voice tape recorder
as well.

However, there is a real problem with devices of this sort. It makes it all
too easy to focus on the actions of the driver and train controller, when in
fact the actions or inactions of managements and boards over issues of
safety equipment, training, supervision, rostering/rest periods, health
care, and workplace culture may well be a fundamental cause of accidents.

While cab voice recorders and black boxes will help determine the proximate
causes of accidents, they will not necessarily illuminate the latent
(underlying) causes. In my experience, managements will quickly offer up a
driver or train controller for sacrifice rather than endure scrutiny of
their own shortcomings.

Bill

"Matthew Geier" <matthew@mail.usyd.edu.au> wrote in message

<snipped>
>
>  In NSW, heritage steamers already carry radios and Hasler chart
recorders,
> (The 'old' black box), as a result of the fall out from the Cowan
accident.
>
>  The inputs for a 'back box' exist already on all locomotives, the 'back'
> box is green and records on wax tape. It might be old tech, but an event
> recorder is an event recorder...
>
>  It's the EMU's which were never fitted for event recording that will be
the
> biggest problem.
>