by Dangerous Drowsiness at the Tram Controls
Many of us are familiar with the feeling of fatigue at work when our eyes grow heavy and concentration wanes. We usually resort to coffee or a break, but the operator of the San Francisco light rail train was less fortunate.
Incident Details
In September, a tram operator apparently succumbed to fatigue and briefly fell asleep while driving through a tunnel. This case was so serious that it became the subject of a state investigation.
Chronology of Events
Published video of the incident shows the female driver seemingly dozing while the tram is stopped at an N Judah Muni Metro route stop. She soon wakes up and gradually guides the vehicle into the Sunset Tunnel.
While moving through the tunnel, footage from the cabin shows the driver leaning back and seemingly closing her eyes, even as the tram continued to accelerate. Upon exiting the tunnel, the speed reached 50 mph, and the tram navigated a right turn without derailing only by luck.
Passengers were thrown around the cabin as the driver suddenly woke up and drove past a stop at the intersection of Duboce Avenue and Noe Street.
Aftermath and Response
After the incident, the driver informed passengers that she was unable to stop the tram, adding that the emergency brake did not engage.
However, a preliminary investigation soon determined that there were no technical issues with the tram, and the cause lay in “operator fatigue.”
Safety is always our priority. We are committed to accountability in response to this unacceptable incident and are taking all necessary measures to make Muni safe and reliable for all passengers and the public.
Fortunately, no one on board was injured. The tram operator reported that it would enhance training on detecting signs of fatigue to avoid similar incidents in the future.
Additionally, collaboration with manufacturers or software companies is planned to potentially limit tram speeds in certain areas.
Similar cases of public transport operator fatigue highlight the importance of driver condition monitoring systems and the automation of safety functions. Technologies such as eye-tracking sensors or artificial intelligence can prevent potentially catastrophic situations, especially under growing pressure on urban infrastructure. Implementing such solutions could be a key step in ensuring passenger safety in major cities worldwide.
