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<p>[quote user="zugmann"]In the first locked thread, I stated that we were talking about a possible 3 second difference between when a regular horn signal would have been sounded, and when the emergency signal was sounded by the engineer. Both would have been after the gates activated, according to the NTSB timeline. </p> <p>I do not see how the quiet zone figures into this, when the truck was already going across the tracks when the horn would have been sounded in a normal, non quiet crossing. Remember, FRA states the horn should be sounded no more than 1/4 a mile away, which comes into play at a high speed crossing like this one.</p> <p>PS. And here you go again: it must be the crossing's fault. Always. This time it must be the quiet zone. Nevermind the fact the truck driver blew the crossing for whatever reason, it must be the quiet zone.[/quote]</p> <p><span style="font-family:verdana,geneva;">I made it very explicit in yesterday’s locked thread that I was not excusing the driver because the quiet zone failed him. I clearly stated that I was only considering what might have prevented the crash even if the driver did enter against the signals and also entered with insufficient clearance on the opposite side. So your P.S. characterization above of what I said is simply incorrect. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:verdana,geneva;">Furthermore, I stand by my conclusion that the difference between the full standard horn signal and the quiet zone emergency signal (a difference of 3.75 seconds), would have been just about the right amount of time in the sequence of events to prevent the crash; IF the driver was distracted and unaware of the approaching train; and IF the cop sirens were drowning out the crossing bells. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:verdana,geneva;">The engineer blew the emergency horn signal at 9 seconds before impact, and by that time, the truck tractor had already crossed the track and was tangled up with the lowered gate behind him. If the horn had been blown 3-4 seconds earlier, the truck was just beginning to enter into the track space, and the gate was just beginning to come down. So the missing 3-4 seconds of horn signal would have fallen right into the proper time slot to have warned the driver when he was in a position to be able to escape the crossing by backing up. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:verdana,geneva;">This is only my observation of this one particular effect of a quiet zone. I think it is interesting because the premise of quiet zones is that they are no less protected than a non-quiet zone crossing because quiet zone crossings are provided with safety enhancements that are intended to compensate for the loss of safety due to the lack of a horn signal. The NTSB said they were looking into what added safety enhancements were used to compensate for the lack of the horn signal. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family:verdana,geneva;">So I conclude that you have a pre-existing belief that I am trying to defend every grade crossing transgressor, and you look at what I say through the lens of that pre-existing belief. It makes what I say seem to conform to your pre-existing belief. </span></p>
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