The lack of seat belts in trains that are noticed by many passengers and even come to the point of complaint confuses many of us. It is also seen that passengers have asked many questions about this situation to the Ombudsman Institution due to safety concerns.
The main purpose of the seat belt, as we all know, is to prevent serious injuries in accidents. The absence of seat belts in high-speed trains and normal trains does not actually endanger the safety of passengers. Contrary to popular belief, would you be surprised if we told you that this is a precaution taken for the safety of passengers?
There are no seat belts on trains for a number of reasons.
While the presence of seat belts in cars or airplanes is about keeping passengers safe, why is it the other way around in trains? There are actually multiple reasons for this.
On airplanes, we wear belts to keep us safe during turbulence. In cars, there are seat belts to prevent accidents that may occur from sudden braking. However, business on the train is not at all what we think! People buy train tickets to have a relatively comfortable journey. During the journey, unlike the plane or car, we get up on the train; We walk around, we go to the restaurant. While doing all these, no one wants to have a belt that restricts them!
There is another, more practical reason.
We can explain this reason in one word: safety!
The problem of seat belts in trains has actually been evaluated for years. All experts also agree that belts are not necessary. Let’s do a little brainstorming, assuming that trains have a seat belt. Suppose there are also passengers walking around while a few people are seated on a belted train. The train suddenly crashes, and the unbelted people are thrown into the air, hitting the seated passengers. This will naturally increase the number of injured people, as well as cause extra damage to the occupants.
It causes spinal injuries.
Apart from the other reasons we have mentioned, one of the reasons for the absence of belts is not to harm the passengers in a sudden stop. The spine of a person who moves forward with a sudden brake can be seriously damaged. In other words, the seat belt is the opposite of what it is in a normal car; In fact, it harms passengers on trains.
The Ombudsman Institution investigated whether seat belts can be used in trains.
In the 2019 report submitted by the Ombudsman Institution to the Parliament, in the examination made about the belt, “In the case of a major accident, it has been observed that passengers are more vulnerable to injuries, especially because they fasten their seat belts, and they cannot escape from the danger. It was concluded that the improved seat design was more effective to increase safety.