A tragic accident, especially for this time of year. From all accounts, it looks like the driver suffered a heart attack at the wheel. I've actually been saying this for many a year as I've witnessed some sad sights on the road, but every time, got slapped down by colleagues.

I think it's time it got implemented! All HGV drivers over the age of 50 should have annual compulsory medicals. It may not prevent accidents like this, but it will enable GP's/hospitals to detect any issues that may affect that person's ability to continue driving heavy goods vehicles.

Condolences to the families involved

If Aldous Huxley was alive today, he'd weep!

Brave New World

If Aldous Huxley was alive today, he'd weep!

Brave New World

Depending on what he tweeted, could be more like Orwell's Thought Police.

Some folks need to be reminded of the olde addage:
"Tis better to be silent and thought a fool,
than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."

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Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

If Aldous Huxley was alive today, he'd weep!

Brave New World

"making a malicious communication" Is that like Pussy Riot and "hooliganism"?!

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Thought crime?




Edit:

Double plus good?

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One of the more desolate and windswept places in the UK:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-30655967

(Personally I think Benbecula is worse...)

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

#epicfail

- that has to be a minor understatement...

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

From the New Year people in St. Petersburg Russia will be able to take a cab ride in one of the city’s newest taxis: an amphibious armoured patrol vehicle.
That's after a decommissioned BRDM-2 Combat Reconnaissance and Patrol Vehicle was added to the pool of one of the city's taxi firms. It has been pimped out with leather interiors and electric windows, and, of course, you are encased within 14 mm (0.55 inches) of armour.
The world's safest taxi.
http://www.dn.se/webb-tv/klipp/nyheter/varldens-sakraste-taxi/

From CBS News.

Kansas derailment raises vital rail safety questions

Rail safety is back in the spotlight after a new warning from federal regulators.

The National Transportation Safety Board is urging railroads to take immediate action following its investigation of a derailment in Kansas. No one was hurt in the derailment, but it raised new questions about whether America's rail network -- carrying cargo and passengers -- is as safe as it could be, CBS News' Mark Albert reports.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kansas-derailment-raises-vital-rail-safety-questions/

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In a news release Friday, the NTSB said a green LED light was so bright it out-shined the old-fashioned, incandescent red stoplight nearby. The engineer accelerated, plowing into an oncoming train.

Hold on, what happened to AWS, TPWS, ATP or ERTMS? does the States not use those systems?

AWS, TPWS, ATP & ERTMS according to the wiki isn't used in the US. It's too early to say when or what type system will be implemented for HSR in the US, Ground Breaking for CAHSR construction is happening on Jan 6th 2015 in Fresno CA, at at 1625 Tulare Street.

Now PTC is supposed to be implemented, but some RR's are dragging their feet(at least that's what I've read), PTC is Positive Train Control.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

PTC is a derivative of ERTMS, tailored for the US market

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

In a news release Friday, the NTSB said a green LED light was so bright it out-shined the old-fashioned, incandescent red stoplight nearby. The engineer accelerated, plowing into an oncoming train.

Hold on, what happened to AWS, TPWS, ATP or ERTMS? does the States not use those systems?

Nothing really, just that there are two wrong side failures in action here, and most signalling systems aren't designed to cope with that combination....
First somebody didn't set up the light level of the green signal correctly. It is all too easy to set the level of an LED light too high.
Second the engineer should have been aware of the relative locations of the two signals concerned (in the UK its called "knowing the road" or "route knowledge").
Actually there may be a third failure - the alignment of the two signals should have been such that the regardless of levels the driver should have been able to see the red in preference to the green - there have been quite a number of SPADs on the UK where miss-alignment has historically been a contributing factor.

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

PTC is a derivative of ERTMS, tailored for the US market

Then there is CBOSS, which has been given the green light to be developed by the FRA...
http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/ptc/fra-green-lights-cboss-ptc.html

The Federal Railroad Administration has given Caltrain the green light to proceed with the installation and testing of its CBOSS (Caltrain Communications Based Overlay Signal System) Positive Train Control (PTC) technology. Parsons is leading the design, procurement, and installation of the system for Caltrain.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

I'd bet pretty good money that the majority of the crew were non English speaking, as the wages for merchant shipping are notoriously rock bottom. We will see what transpires, but this looks like crew error. The UK has had quite enough of this sort of stuff going on, and it's high time that laws were made to prevent any merchant shipping entering British territorial waters unless the Captain of the vessel, and the Officers are fully qualified and speak English.

So far they seem to be taking a responsible position upon it. Time will tell.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2895837/Car-transporter-cargo-ship-runs-aground-Isle-Wight.html

This evening, Ingar Skiaker, the chief executive officer of Hoegh Autoliners, which own the vessel, said the ship was deliberately grounded after it started listing when it left the Port of Southampton last night.

He explained: 'Our vessel developed a severe list shortly after she left port and the pilot and the master took the decision to save the vessel and its crew by grounding her on the bank.

'This showed great skill and seamanship on behalf of our crew when faced with such challenging circumstances.

'At this stage it is too early to speculate on the cause of the list but we are starting an immediate investigation.

Deliberately run aground by the pilot. Now will Chris be apologizing for his slurs?

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Now PTC is supposed to be implemented, but some RR's are dragging their feet(at least that's what I've read), PTC is Positive Train Control.

It's not that they're dragging their feet. The rail industry is spending billions of its own dollars on PTC, but even with the deadline being at the end of this year, some of the technology is still being designed.

Then there was the issue with another branch of the government holding up installation. PTC requires a new radio tower every couple of miles, and the FCC ruled that every one of them is subject to prior site inspection and approval by Native American tribes, whether or not the site is on a reservation. They finally reached a compromise on this, but they haven't yet caught up with the backlog it caused.

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David
Sitting on my butt while others boldly go,
Waiting for a message from a small furry creature from Alpha Centauri.

Regarding that capsized ship in the Solent it appears I was quite wrong, it wasn't crew error at all, it was deliberate.

Ingar Skiaker, chief executive of Hoegh Autoliners, said: "Our vessel developed a severe list shortly after she left port and the pilot and the master took the decision to save the vessel and its crew by grounding her on the bank.

Sounds like cargo movement?

I heard that on the BBC news , some one will be in trouble , I 4t that the cargo was supposed to be secured before the ship leaves port . There was a documentary about it and the way they load and make sure the weight is placed right in the ship is a science of its own

Did you hear the retired Admiral (Lord West, also on BBC News) complaining that somebody had parked a car transporter on his cricket pitch?

Brambles Bank cricket match

They'll have to move it before the next spring tide, or there'll be hell to pay.

Asked whether there were too many vehicles on board, Mr Skiaker replied: "No, the vessel was only one-third full."

Even so, if it was not properly secured......

Could also be a problem with the ballasting system. Whatever it was, the inspectors will find it......

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Donald
Infernal Optimist / Submariner, retired

Regarding that capsized ship in the Solent it appears I was quite wrong, it wasn't crew error at all, it was deliberate.

It does not "appear" that way at all. You were wrong so have the decency to admit it & take time to "research &/or read" correctly before making spurious claims!

If the ship was loaded by the calibre of this man, no wonder the ship listed soon after leaving port