Crumpled Railcars Led to New Designs Saving Lives in Crash
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The Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. railcars credited with saving lives during a derailment in Connecticut May 17 had crush-resistant frames developed after a 1987 accident in which cars caved in, trapping people who otherwise might have lived.
The Connecticut crash between two Metro-North Railroad commuter trains injured 76 people out of about 700 passengers with no immediate fatalities. Casualties would have been worse if lawmakers and regulators hadn’t acted to improve car safety in recent years, said a safety advocate who helped write the laws.