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The Luas: Badly designed?

  • 14-03-2019 3:28pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 1,520 ✭✭✭


    Do you think there are design flaws with the luas and the signaling systems etc considering the amount of accident and actual deaths that have been linked with it.

    Some incidents are definitely as a result of people running red lights etc but not all can be classed this way.

    I wonder how much of a review takes places after each of the incidents


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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 9,764 ✭✭✭antoinolachtnai


    Well, it's an inherently dangerous system. Running trams at frequency and speed in close proximity to pedestrians is just a risky thing to do. It is fine up to a certain point, but when the frequency goes high, you really need something segregated, like the proposed MetroLink.

    The Luas safety record is actually not bad considering how busy the system is and how many interactions there are with pedestrians and other traffic.

    The Rail Safety Commission looks at incidents. I don't really know what the protocol is for investigations.


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,229 ✭✭✭✭ednwireland




  • Registered Users Posts: 4,018 ✭✭✭davidk1394


    Do you think there are design flaws with the luas and the signaling systems etc considering the amount of accident and actual deaths that have been linked with it.

    Some incidents are definitely as a result of people running red lights etc but not all can be classed this way.

    I wonder how much of a review takes places after each of the incidents

    I think if they painted it red or a luminous color so it would stand out other than grey.
    Also people walking across in front of the Luas with headphones in or on their phone is modern day Darwinism and natural selection at its finest.
    People are stuck to them and I guarantee you if they reviewed the cause of each incident a person on their phone or with headphones in is top of the list


  • Registered Users Posts: 78,218 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Do you think there are design flaws with the luas and the signaling systems etc considering the amount of accident and actual deaths that have been linked with it.
    More than 440,000,000 million trips and only one (intending) passenger killed. Several other road users have died, but Luas has not been responsible. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luas#Notable_incidents
    Some incidents are definitely as a result of people running red lights etc but not all can be classed this way.
    The vast majority of injuries on railways are due to error by third parties.
    I wonder how much of a review takes places after each of the incidents
    A lot more than a typical car crash.


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,060 ✭✭✭✭iamwhoiam


    I think the flaw is in the pedestrians who don't take precautions around the trams if I am honest


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  • Moderators, Music Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,717 Mod ✭✭✭✭Boom_Bap


    Badly designed? It looks like The Terminators mickey!


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,701 ✭✭✭jam_mac_jam


    I would guess its more to do with people ignoring lights and running out in front of it then the design of the tram.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,764 ✭✭✭antoinolachtnai


    You can say the Luas wasn't responsible for these other incidents in some legal sense, but the system certainly did result in new risks to road-users.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,786 ✭✭✭wakka12


    Only 6 pedestrians have been killed in 15 years, so less than one every two years with over 41.8 million passengers riding it safely annually (or almost 100 million people riding it safely every two years vs one person dying), and of course most deaths and accidents are through the fault of the pedestrian themselves anyway

    The design is fine and as good or better than most tram systems world wide


  • Registered Users Posts: 20,171 ✭✭✭✭jimgoose


    Apparently new figures have revealed that 100% of Luas incidents involved some sort of electric tram. It's a disgrace, Joe...


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  • Registered Users Posts: 13,365 ✭✭✭✭McMurphy


    The biggest design flaw was having two Luas lines in a relatively small city that didn't hook up imo.


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,500 ✭✭✭✭DEFTLEFTHAND


    [QUOTE=davidk1394;109681277]I think if they painted it red or a luminous color so it would stand out other than grey.
    Also people walking across in front of the Luas with headphones in or on their phone is modern day Darwinism and natural selection at its finest.
    People are stuck to them and I guarantee you if they reviewed the cause of each incident a person on their phone or with headphones in is top of the list[/QUOTE]

    Good point. It blends in with the dull city streets, plus the skies are grey over Dublin 3 quarters of the yr.

    A new paint scheme could definitely reduce incidents.


  • Registered Users Posts: 363 ✭✭Pronto63


    Boom_Bap wrote: »
    Badly designed? It looks like The Terminators mickey!

    You mean The Traminator!

    :eek:


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,966 ✭✭✭Paulzx


    Do you think there are design flaws with the luas and the signaling systems etc considering the amount of accident and actual deaths that have been linked with it.


    What's the problem with the Luas signalling systems? I'm not aware of one incident involving the Luas where the tram itself broke a signal. There have been numerous minor collisions where cars broke traffic lights.

    I'm also unaware of a single fatality that involved an occupant of a car or a tram itself. Unfortunaltely pedestrians have been the big losers but as vulnerable road users this is to be expected.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,167 ✭✭✭Fr_Dougal


    The biggest design flaw was having two Luas lines in a relatively small city that didn't hook up imo.

    Maybe they didn’t fancy each other.


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,379 ✭✭✭✭murpho999


    Tram deaths are tiny.

    Compare them to deaths caused by cars, which kill over 1m per year and nobody thinks cars are badly designed?

    People walking near tram tracks which are very obvious should be looking out for trams. Simple.


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,379 ✭✭✭✭murpho999


    Good point. It blends in with the dull city streets, plus the skies are grey over Dublin 3 quarters of the yr.

    A new paint scheme could definitely reduce incidents.

    Are you really saying that people don't see a 60 meter tram because of clouds in the sky?

    If they were looking at the clouds they wouldn't see the tram either.

    Ridiculous argument.


  • Registered Users Posts: 43,017 ✭✭✭✭SEPT 23 1989


    They should be fitted with Stuka dive bomber sirens to alert other road users and pedestrians of its approach


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,500 ✭✭✭✭DEFTLEFTHAND


    murpho999 wrote: »
    Are you really saying that people don't see a 60 meter tram because of clouds in the sky?

    If they were looking at the clouds they wouldn't see the tram either.

    Ridiculous argument.

    I'm saying that it blends in with the dull city environment. A fresh paint scheme would make it stand out better for drivers and pedestrians alike.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,168 ✭✭✭Tow


    Back when it was initially finished. They admitted (well their engineers) that digging out the embankment rather then building a bridge at Beachwood was a mistake.

    The Green Line's original plans had a cycle way/walkway along the Harcourt Street Line section. This was never implemented as the two tracks were laid (far apart) to allow for the metro upgrade, which did not leave enough room. But now that the metro upgrade is not going ahead, a special cycle way is going to be built along roads running largely parallel to the track. Joint up think at it's best!

    When is the money (including lost growth) Michael Noonan took in the Pension Levy going to be paid back?



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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,022 ✭✭✭Gulliver


    wakka12 wrote: »
    Only 6 pedestrians have been killed in 15 years, so less than one every two years with over 41.8 million passengers riding it safely annually (or almost 100 million people riding it safely every two years vs one person dying), and of course most deaths and accidents are through the fault of the pedestrian themselves anyway

    The design is fine and as good or better than most tram systems world wide
    Is there any breakdown of where the unfortunate pedestrians were from? I'm just wondering if it was tourists or non-locals who weren't familiar with the system who got killed.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,187 ✭✭✭Fian


    You can say the Luas wasn't responsible for these other incidents in some legal sense, but the system certainly did result in new risks to road-users.

    If the passengers on the luas were using buses or even worse private cars to commute rather than a tram the risks to other road users would be higher - the system significantly reduced the risks overall. so yes "new" lower risks, to replace old more severe risks.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,206 ✭✭✭✭Birneybau


    People: stupid?


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,288 ✭✭✭✭branie2


    I think it's fine


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,187 ✭✭✭Fian


    Tow wrote: »
    But now that the metro upgrade is not going ahead, a special cycle way is going to be built along roads running largely parallel to the track. Joint up think at it's best!

    Newspaper headlines notwithstanding, the cancellation of the metro has not been announced. What has been reported is a quote from the Minister saying he would not accept a proposal which caused a 2 year closure of the luas. Nobody has proposed anything of the sort of course.


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,248 ✭✭✭✭salmocab


    Tow wrote: »
    Back when it was initially finished. They admitted (well their engineers) that digging out the embankment rather then building a bridge at Beachwood was a mistake.

    The Green Line's original plans had a cycle way/walkway along the Harcourt Street Line section. This was never implemented as the two tracks were laid (far apart) to allow for the metro upgrade, which did not leave enough room. But now that the metro upgrade is not going ahead, a special cycle way is going to be built along roads running largely parallel to the track. Joint up think at it's best!

    Metro upgrade not going ahead? That’s certainly not been announced.


  • Registered Users Posts: 24,647 ✭✭✭✭punisher5112


    It could do with a bell sounding all the time.


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,060 ✭✭✭✭iamwhoiam


    It could do with a bell sounding all the time.

    That would be seriously annoying for all people living close enough to the Luas to hear it .


  • Registered Users Posts: 16,421 ✭✭✭✭astrofool


    iamwhoiam wrote: »
    That would be seriously annoying for all people living close enough to the Luas to hear it .

    We could call it the "Everything's OK" alarm.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,585 ✭✭✭IngazZagni


    Tow wrote: »
    Back when it was initially finished. They admitted (well their engineers) that digging out the embankment rather then building a bridge at Beachwood was a mistake.

    This was objected to by local residents. Of course we see time and time again that we allow the minor issues of a few affect major infrastructure projects all over the Country. We will always have third rate infrastructure until this changes.


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