"Experts warn of high-speed rail hazard"

[John Bredin]

http://articles.chic...rian-high-speed

How many people die on the roads every year?! And more to the point, how many pedestrians die crossing the street?!

(Oh, FUD is fear, uncertainty, and doubt, better explained here.)

 

[George Harris]

Must have been a really, really slow news day.

As to the "expert":

Take a drip of water, put it under pressure, and you have a spurt.

"ex" is a prefix indicating something that has happened in the past.

Therefore, an "expert" is a drip that has been under pressure.

---------------------------

This sort of thing is far, far less likely to happen on a high speed railroad than on any existing line.

Why?

High platforms

Fences between tracks

platform tracks separated from main tracks

Probably more, but I am in a hurry.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

yet japan china Germany etc have not had one pedestrian accident or at least not as many has we do here.

 

[Trogdor]

yet japan china Germany etc have not had one pedestrian accident or at least not as many has we do here.

That statement couldn't be further from the truth.

This link gives some statistics from a decade ago. The US had 463 trespasser deaths, vs. over 1000 in Germany, and over 800 in Japan.

The only reason I can think of that someone would say they haven't had one pedestrian accident is that they simply don't look at any news reported outside of the US.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

why would i want to look at news that doesn't concern the USA. how many of those deaths were from HSR. nothing is going to keep people off the tracks. build a great wall next to the tracks and people will still find a way to get on the tracks and get hit.

 

[Trogdor]

why would i want to look at news that doesn't concern the USA.

Well, if you're going to make claims about what does or doesn't happen in other countries, then it may be helpful to actually know what does or doesn't happen in other countries.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

maybe because it doesn't make the news here. "breaking news at 11 ten dead in trespassing accident in germany some kids cut through a fence and ran on the tracks and got mowed down by a speeding ICE train

 

[Trogdor]

You said "yet japan china Germany etc have not had one pedestrian accident or at least not as many has we do here."

That statement is simply false. My point is you cannot equate not hearing about it with it not happening. Posting a statement as a fact, without knowing whether it's really a fact or just something pulled out of thin air, is irresponsible.