Man hit by tram saved by safety technology

LIGHT rail bosses say the trams passed a significant safety test when a 21-year-old man survived an accident on Friday.

The man was believed to be sleeping on the tracks at Main Beach when hit after 5am. He will undergo surgery for a fractured shin.

GoldLinQ believes the safety technology installed on Coast trams could have been the key to saving the man’s life.

At the front of the tram a deflector bar pops out when an object intercepts. The bar, which is pressure-activated, immediately slows the tram.

“A full investigation of the incident is in place,” GoldLinQ’s Steve Cadzow said.

“The deflector on the tram stopped (the man) from getting pulled underneath the tram. If he was on a highway or a heavy rail it could’ve been very different.

“The driver of that tram is getting support after his experience but thankfully the safety mods on the trams stopped any grim endings that day.”

Mr Cadzow said GoldLinQ had been running safety campaigns since 2013 and has been actively warning pedestrians and drivers to be aware of trams.

Ambulance media officers told the Bulletin the man was trapped under the tram by his leg but was conscious and breathing. He was freed before 6am and was taken to the Gold Coast University Hospital in a serious but stable condition.