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APPENDIX G
EXCERPT FROM RAIL SAFETY/ EQUIPMENT CRASHWORTHINESS
REPORT NO. FRA/ORD-77/73, IV
5. CONCLUSIONS
The conclusions reached in this study are based on data obtained from accident investigation reports and T-Forms, visual surveys of rail vehicle interiors, analytical determi— nation of occupant impact forces and logical assumptions. Accident data, in the majority of incidents, reported the initiating factors of the accident, the type of vehicle the occupant was injured in and the nature of the injuries. The area of minimal information was on the injury mechanism or ob— ject contacted by the occupant. Conclusions as to the items requiring improvement to reduce injuries were based to a great extent on the visual surveys to determine the likely object to cause injury in a collision. This was particularly true for passenger rail vehicle occupants where collision injury mechanism data was practically non—existent. The severity of in— juries, based on the assumptions from the visual survey, was determined by the use of mathematical analysis to obtain force levels.
Severity of injuries was found to be less pronounced for passenger railcar occupants than locomotive and caboose occupants. This is assuming that the passenger car does not telescope or become penetrated by an object. Calculations show that acceleration pulses experienced in passenger cars, regardless of the velocity at collision, should not cause occupants to impact interior furnishings at a velocity sufficient to cause fatal injuries. Injuries experienced in passenger cars fell into the minor to moderate level range. Modifications to passenger cars for collision safety will be for the purpose of eliminating or reducing injuries rather than so much to prevent fatalities. The principal modifications to passenger railcars are as follows:
- Prevent double seats from swiveling by providing a positive lock to improve occupant containment
- Prevent leg entrapment under seats by adding a back skirt to reduce high frequency of leg injury in collisions
- Provide padded armrests, headrests and shoulder wings to improve containment
- Provide padding on rigid bulkheads, doors and nonyieldw ing partitions
- Compartment lounge and lavatory areas to minimize distance occupant can be thrown
