Safety glass not tough enough
THE Croydon tram crash would probably have caused fewer injuries if tougher windows had been fitted, investigators said.
All seven people killed were thrown out of the smashed windows or doors. The windows – which met existing safety regulations – were made of toughened glass which ‘provides little resistance to the ejection of passengers’, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said.
Laminated windows, which are designed to contain passengers during crashes, are used on trains. Deputy chief inspector Andy Hall said it was ‘likely the outcome would have been much better’ if laminated windows had been used on the tram.
The RAIB said it raised concerns about the strength of tram glass in 2009. It said it wrote to the Department for Transport and Transport for London but there is ‘no evidence’ that any action was taken. TFL said it is testing reinforced glass. If the trials are successful it hopes to fit new windows in the spring.