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4 children dead in level crossing accident, Holland.

Posted: 20 Sep 2018, 17:46
by adam2
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-45586492

The children were being transported to school in a lightweight, low speed electric cart operated by an adult.
The cart overtook a number of cars queuing at the gated level crossing, went under the barrier and was struck by a train.

Some reports suggest brake failure on the electric cart, others suggested operator error.
Whatever the cause is found to be, one hopes that lessons will be learned to avoid a recurrence, and that there will not be a knee jerk response of simply banning such carts.

Lightweight and low speed electric vehicles of various types should IMHO, be encouraged. Until this tragedy they had a good safety record.

Posted: 23 Sep 2018, 14:23
by fuzzy
I spent a week in the Hague area by train travel about 15 years ago. The large number of wheelchair users - young adults etc at public events was not a reflection of the 'cool beatnik culture' it was more a symptom of the motorists in the Hague driving like Asia, and lots of fearless, reckless cyclists, usually on inefficient comfort bikes, rather than high speed ranndoneur designs better suited to traffic speeds.