Everyone has wondered what would happen if the pilot of their flight were to have a mishap. It is common knowledge that there are methods to make it easier to land the plane. But what about trains? Are there safety systems in place to ensure the driver is in full health? Yes, there are. Today we would like to tell you about a system that, although it has a very gloomy name, is a guarantee that the driver is perfectly healthy: the dead man’s pedal.
What is the dead man’s pedal?
It is a safety system installed on locomotives. The purpose of this device is to verify that the driver is fit to drive the train while it is running. It consists of a foot pedal, usually located under the control desk, which is operated by foot. Depending on the vehicle model, these may also be hand-operated buttons. In the event of the driver’s absence from the cab, fainting or even death, this system would be activated.
Why was it invented?
The “dead man’s system” or “absence system”, better known as the “dead man’s pedal”, was first used on trains to prevent engines from running without a person at the controls due to unforeseen circumstances. Although in the past the system was run pneumatically, nowadays it is digitally operated and integrated into trains’ black boxes.
How does the system work?
The system is activated if the pedal is not pressed within a set amount of time or if the pedal is pressed continuously. First a light comes on to alert the driver, a shrill beep sounds, and then, if the pedal has not yet been pressed, the emergency braking system, the most powerful braking system on trains, is activated. In addition, cycle times are inversely proportional to train speed: the higher the running speed, the shorter the pedal activation times.
