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Research on seatbelts for trains ongoing

Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) is carrying out research to see what improvements can be made to the design of rail vehicles to reduce injuries in the event of accidents.

Included in this research, is a review of the possible use of seat belts and air bags on trains. This research project began in late 2002 and will be complete in Autumn 2005.

Modern train seats form an integral part of the safe design of a train, to keep passengers within the seat zone and to cushion them in a way that will minimize injuries in the event of an accident. The seats are specifically designed to protect passengers against impacts from behind and to minimize injury resulting from impacts with the seat in front in the event of a head-on collision.

Aidan Nelson, Director, Policy and Strategic Initiatives said, ‘Research to date suggests that while in some situations the wearing of a seat belt may improve safety, in other situations it may increase the likelihood of injuries. However, it must be stressed that this initial assessment is to be validated by means of further tests.’

Editors notes:

1. The research project is called ‘Improving the design of seats and tables to minimise passenger injuries’. It is reviewing seats and tables and the use of seat belts to investigate how rail vehicle interior design can be improved to minimise injury in an accident.

The research will cover:

• The development of a ‘railway’ anatomical test device (‘test dummy’)
  
• The development of a test protocol for seats and tables
  
• Collation of static and dynamic test data and predicted injury performance
  
• A revision to industry standards for interior crashworthiness
  
• The dissemination of test results and a design guide for seats and tables
  
• Report on the cost and benefits of restraint mechanisms
  
• Data to enable the future development of predictive mathematical models

2. Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) manages the rail industry's formal inquiry process to ensure that lessons are learned and promulgated and that effective actions are taken.

RSSB acts to ensure that serious railway accidents are investigated thoroughly and independently, and that lessons for safety are learned and acted on.

3. Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) was established in April 2003, implementing one of the core sets of recommendations from the second part of Lord Cullen’s public inquiry into the Ladbroke Grove accident. The company’s primary objective is to lead and facilitate the railway industry’s work to achieve continuous improvement in the health and safety performance of the railways in Great Britain, and thus to facilitate the reduction of risk to passengers, employees and the affected public.