One teen dead, three hurt in crash
November 07, 2006 06:11am
Article from: NEWS.com.au
ONE teenager was killed and three others critically injured when their car hit a power pole so hard the vehicle split apart on impact.
Emergency services were still at the crash site, south of Newcastle, this morning.
The 16-year-old boy, a rear seat passenger, died at the scene of the 2.45am (AEDT) crash at an intersection at Tingira Heights, police said.
Two other youths, aged about 17, and a teenage girl were thrown from the car by the force of the impact. They were taken to John Hunter Hospital with critical injuries.
I ask the question what is wrong with the statement that it hit a power pole so hard the car split in two?
Highlights to me that poles are not made to shear at the base as statements have been made before!
Second it highlights that the designers of roads are guilty of not removing or mitigating risks as far as possible by placing power poles where they can be hit by an out of control vehicle and release the energy needed to kill!
Third it seems they are designing poles stronger these days or making them out of stronger materials to save money on replacing poles at the expense of the motorists lives! They should shear off in a high speed impact.
Although if we comply with the hierachy of controls this is one risk that can be totally illiminated by placing the lines under ground! And as this is a workplace for many those that design, fund and manage our roads should be guilty of manslaughter for failing to comply with a simple principle in safety, the Hierachy of Control and instead focussing totally on behavioural controls.
Regards
Daniel
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