22 Seconds
Posted by Fred Jandt
Editor, Mass Transit magazine
A report came out this week stating that the Metrolink engineer involved in September’s tragedy was texting throughout his shift the day of the accident. Not only had he sent and received dozens of text messages, he had sent and received messages just 22 seconds before the crash happened. The Metrolink engineer also didn’t pull his emergency brake before the crash, while the Union Pacific engineer did — 2 seconds after he could have seen the Metrolink train coming. So what was the Metrolink engineer looking at?
California has banned the use of cell phones while driving (I believe without a headset), and now has banned texting while driving. Of course, Metrolink had rules against its engineers using cell phones while on the job before the crash on September 12. That didn’t stop its engineer from using it to send dozens of text messages during his split shift.
Rules and laws are the backbone of society, but they are only worth the paper they are printed on if they are enforced. It’s great that California passed laws prohibiting the use of cell phones, but who is going to police this? And who is going to police it especially for train engineers? Random spot checks? Come on.
If anything, people who abuse the system now will just curtail the use of their cell phones until the media attention dies down and then do what they have been. I am sure they are telling themselves that the accident that happened in Chatsworth, Calif., wouldn’t happen to them because they are always attentive and only use their cell phones for emergencies or “just a little bit.â€
The fact of the matter is that the only way you can really be sure that the engineer driving the train isn’t using a cell phone is to take it away from him. Metrolink — and really every transit system — should make it mandatory that engineers hand in their phones when they come on duty. If they want the engineer to have a cell phone for emergencies, give him one that is approved by the authority with limited use and no text capability. If the driver needs to be called for a family emergency, set up a special line the family can call.
The only way to prevent an accident of this sort from happening again isn’t to tell people that they will get in trouble if they do the same thing the Metrolink engineer did. It’s to make sure they can’t do what he did to begin with.
Thanks for reading the MT Position updated every Friday,
October 3rd, 2008 at 12:43 pm
A better option to unenforcable laws prohibiting cell phone use in the cab is to require the use of cell phone jammers in locomotives and cab cars. Make the cab car a “quiet” car for passengers so the jammer spillover doesn’t irritate customers. These devices are available on the “grey” market and many commuters use them, albeit discreetly. Since cell jammers are effectively illegal, the use of cell jammers should be specifically approved at the Federal level for use in locomotives and cab cars. The jammer can be concealed in a (non-metal) lock box with no possible access by the crewmen. A trainman has a radio for communications both in the cab and likely a handheld as well; these would not be affected.
October 3rd, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Another event resulting from the incident was the somewhat sudden resignation of the female public relations person who announced the probable cause of the accident before the “official” announcement. I wish her the best. There are times when the folks you work for do not want you to tell the truth, even if you are employeed as the media contact. At least by revealing the truth as she knew it, actions took place in a more immediate fashion to implement/review safety procedures.
October 6th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
It doesn’t matter if the engineer was using his cell phone or a handheld PlayStation. There are rules already in place, and they must be followed and enforced. Cell phones don’t cause new problems, they’re just revisiting the old ones.
Knee-jerk reactions don’t help, they hinder. We can’t simply jam the phones; this could hamper legitimate communications (such as AFTER the crash). A jammer in the locomotive would jam EVERY phone signal, not just the engineer and fireman. We can’t just wave our hands and sweep away the problem.
October 14th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
As a passenger train engineer and proud union member, I find this incident particularly disturbing and even embarrassing. The lack of attention to track and signal conditions and disregard for his responsibilities are disgraceful. As many readers have already alluded to- there are many rules already in place and enforcement is difficult. A means of communication between the engineer and other train crew members is important. Some sort of point to point communication system for use between crew members (only) is a vital part of any cell phone elimination program.
March 7th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
I think we should look at irresponsible driving in general and start coming down on the practice across the board and not just for specific infractions. The woman who puts on makeup, the guy who shaves or reads, the mother that looks in the rearview mirror to talk to her toddler, loose animals, cd players, looking at maps. All these are distractions that have cause countless accidents and should be treated with fines and witholding of privileges. Why just focus on cell phone use when according to studies we can’t talk and drive at the same time? No more convo between passengers. No more talk radio and no more singing along to the radio. All these things cut down on judgement and reaction time.
March 29th, 2009 at 3:50 am
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