Many children killed in another ski trip coach crash

[Seight_Returns]

Munter said:

Along with others I cant work out why they would put a flat face on that wall in the tunnel. Do they not want to deflect cars back into the traffic? Better to have a one vehicle accident than "bounce" it back into the traffic?

I suspect so.

As horrible and horrendous as this crash was - a crash which blocks the tunnel accompanied by a subsequent fire is worse - as illustrated by the 1999 Mont Blanc Tunnel fire.

My huge consolences to all involved.

[Frankeh]

I think it's a lot more likely that it's just some st design rather than designed to instantly kill anyone who strays off the road.

I'd love to have been in the meeting where the architect suggested that and everyone agreed.

Just a bit of shoddy design. A low level barrier could sort it out, though.

[oobster]

Thats a horrible picture above of the coach, blood all down the side.

RIP to all involved

[GTO Scott]

dandarez said:

Also is coach 'safety' keeping up with the strides made in car safety?
All that glass area above waistline and apparently still no strengthening of roof area - same applies to buses.
To me the coach looks like it has disintegrated at the front. If it was keeping to 'its' speed limit under 50, that is horrendous!

Coach and bus design doesn't really allow for safety. A question I ask every trainee driver I teach is where are the crumple zones on this bus/coach - cue blank looks, head scratching and puzzlement until I explain that the only crumple zone is his/her kneecaps.

[Rollcage]

I'd say that the bus was severely compacted, and that pulling it off the wall has stretched it back out again.

[Melman Giraffe]

GTO Scott said:

dandarez said:

Also is coach 'safety' keeping up with the strides made in car safety?
All that glass area above waistline and apparently still no strengthening of roof area - same applies to buses.
To me the coach looks like it has disintegrated at the front. If it was keeping to 'its' speed limit under 50, that is horrendous!

Coach and bus design doesn't really allow for safety. A question I ask every trainee driver I teach is where are the crumple zones on this bus/coach - cue blank looks, head scratching and puzzlement until I explain that the only crumple zone is his/her kneecaps.

Thanks for that!

[Puggit]

The 2nd picture in this set http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17363474 shows the bus did clearly drive in to that flat piece of wall

Edited by Puggit on Wednesday 14th March 11:47

[Puggit]

bbc said:

Officials say the coach careered along the wall of the tunnel for some distance before hitting a concrete wall that formed part of an emergency access section.

[Rollcage]

Having a lay-by right in front of the brick wall doesn't seem the most sensible piece of road layout I've ever seen.

[Zod]

As others have said, the Alps are full of tunnels with this design. Some have armco. Most don't. For there to be two drivers and for this to have happened is very odd.

[vixen1700]

Horrible.

[ThePlanner]

over_the_hill said:

nick s said:

righhhttt, so i'm flying into Geneva on Saturday ngiht and have a 3 hour coach transfer to a Ski resort. This really fills me with confidence!!! :0

Over the next 3-4 days approximately 30 people will die on British roads.
This will not make headline news and no one will bat an eyelid other than close family and friends.
Mainly because they will be isolated incidents involving 1 or 2 people at a time.

Do you intend to drive your car this week or do you not have the confidence.

Get some perspective.

Also as noted above, although the coach was almost certainly fitted with seat belts it doesn't mean they were being worn, and knowing what kids are like they were probably hanging over the seats talking to their mates in the row behind/in front etc.

Do you read the daily mail by chance. Dont compare apples with pears.

think you need to get some perspective. At least when you driv eyour own car you have some control. When you travel on a coach or any form of mass transit you place your trust in the drivers/operators/maintainence team that they have all done there job properly.

Traggic loss for all concerned and affected by this. Including the emergency crews that assisted after the incident.

[K77 CTR]

Looking at that last photo, it must have been horrible being one of the first of the emergency services. There is no easy access to the vehicle and you'd be faced with screaming kids and blood everywhere with no quick way of helping them, can imagine they felt pretty helpless at the start

[Cheib]

Rollcage said:

Having a lay-by right in front of the brick wall doesn't seem the most sensible piece of road layout I've ever seen.

It's an emergency lane I believe. Not the best design though....

[Frankeh]

Cheib said:

Rollcage said:

Having a lay-by right in front of the brick wall doesn't seem the most sensible piece of road layout I've ever seen.

It's an emergency lane I believe. Not the best design though....

If it's a lane specifically for emergencies then I put it to the engineers/architect that it failed at its job.

[mattnunn]

Jesus H.

[dave_s13]

Terrible.

Just behind the families involved in terms of the sheer misery is the emergency services personell that had to clean this up. It must have a significant, lasting effect on you, no matter how battle scarred you are.

[croyde]

Every time I have seen this news today, I feel choked. My eldest is 12 and she goes on school coach trips abroad and even before today, I always worry when she is away.

I just can't imagine what those families are going through and so many kids from one small area.

[Degner]

MonkeyMatt said:

Because coach drivers drive like idiots

Do they really?
-

Looking at the pics, has that flat wall contained the vehicle within a ertain space, rather than catapulting the vehicle into oncoming traffic?

[Puggit]

Degner said:

MonkeyMatt said:

Because coach drivers drive like idiots

Do they really?
-

Looking at the pics, has that flat wall contained the vehicle within a ertain space, rather than catapulting the vehicle into oncoming traffic?

There are 2 tunnels, one for each direction.