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Japan trains to compensate for human error
Japan's trains will soon have emergency braking systems that activate if drivers become incapacitated, Transport Ministry officials have announced. Ministry officials decided the changes were needed in light of the April 25 derailment in Amagasaki, Hyogo prefecture, that killed 107 people, the Asahi Shimbun reported Tuesday. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will introduce a system in which a warning buzzer sounds for five seconds if the driver has not touched accelerating devices, brakes or the horn in 60 seconds. If the driver fails to touch the devices or press a button to acknowledge the warning buzzer, emergency brakes will be applied. The brakes cannot be released once the system is activated. The ministry already has ordered train operators to install new equipment at potentially dangerous railway curves to automatically decelerate speeding trains. Another requirement being considered is a train recorder that keeps track of speeds and the times when brakes are applied. The ministry also plans to study the feasibility of requiring train cars to have thicker sides. © Copyright 2005 by United Press International
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