Tunnel Fire Necessitates Improved Safety Measures

Tunnel Fire Necessitates Improved Safety Measures
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
May 9, 2012

Summary: The Snow Mountain Tunnel opened for traffic six years ago. On the 7th, a serious vehicle fire resulted in two dead and over 30 injured. The Snow Mountain Tunnel already had safety issues. This disaster shows that added safety measures are required. Only that will ensure the safety of tunnel users.

Full Text below:

The Snow Mountain Tunnel opened for traffic six years ago. On the 7th, a serious vehicle fire resulted in two dead and over 30 injured. The Snow Mountain Tunnel already had safety issues. This disaster shows that added safety measures are required. Only that will ensure the safety of tunnel users.

The Snow Mountain Tunnel is 12.9 kilometers long. It is the fifth longest tunnel in the world. It is the second longest tunnel in Asia. In the event of a fire, the heat and smoke can turn a long tunnel into a deathtrap. Passengers may find escape difficult. Tunnel fires have led to many casualties the world over. In Europe, the Mont Blanc tunnel connects Italy and France. In 1999, a truck fire spread to 35 cars. Thirty-nine people died. They were burned to death or died from smoke inhalation. Since the Snow Mountain Tunnel opened to traffic, nine vehicle fires have occurred. This time people died. The accident revealed numerous safety issues that must be addressed as soon as possible.

The first safety issue is the speed limit. The Snow Mountain Tunnel has made travel between Ilan and Taipei more convenient. The number of tourists have significantly increased. Holiday traffic is especially heavy. Traffic volume has led to complaints about congestion. The speed limit in the Snow Mountain Tunnel has been steadily increased. The speed limit was initially set at 70 kph. It has been gradually increased to 90 kph, the Snow Mountain Tunnel's "design speed." Another 10 kph has been added on top of this. In other words, people can drive 100 kph. This means that 2600-2800 vehicles may pass through the tunnel in one hour. This increases efficiency and alleviates the problem of traffic congestion.

But some experts have voiced objections. Problems arise with actual enforcement. People often reach speeds of 102 or 103 kph before they are slapped with speeding tickets. This is already over the Snow Mountain Tunnel's designed speed. Many drivers who use the Snow Mountain Tunnel say that some people drive well over 100 kph but are not photographed or ticketed.

The second issue is the following distance between vehicles. This accident occurred when a van tire blew out and the driver was forced to slow down. Following vehicles were rear-ended. One pickup truck was violently rear-ended by a Capital Bus Company passenger bus. This caused the fire. The couple in the car was burned to a crisp. Was excessive speed the problem? For the moment we don't know. But the failure to maintain adequate following distance between vehicles was clearly a factor. Otherwise a rear-end collision would not have occurred.

According to regulations, vehicles in the Snow Mountain Tunnel must maintain at least 50 meters between themselves and the vehicle in front. In practice, many drivers ignore this. Some tailgate. Some drive too slowly. If the driver in the rear is in a hurry, he tends to tailgate. This makes it impossible for drivers to increase their following distance.

Too high a speed limit, plus failure to maintain safe following distances, plus a long closed tunnel, means three times the risk. Once something goes wrong in front, an accident becomes highly likely. An accident in tunnel dramatically increases the risk of serious injury.

The third issue concerns escape routes and refuge areas. In this particular accident the two fatalities were the direct result of a rear-end collision. Other passengers were lucky to escape. Some people received blunt force injuries or suffered from smoke inhalation. According to some passengers the escape procedure was chaotic. People could not hear the escape instructions over the PA system. Amidst the panic, people could not find the passageways to refuge areas. One escape door jammed in the open position and could not be closed. This allowed smoke to pursue those seeking refuge. Dense smoke is often more lethal than flames. The problem with the emergency exits must be corrected, as soon as possible. They need to be able to block the smoke with equal effectiveness in any situation. Only then will those seeking refuge be protected.

Exhausting the smoke from the Snow Mountain Tunnel took only 37 minutes, The result was considered good. Apart from the car accident, no other people were killed. This was fortunate. This incident has exposed a number of safety issues. These must be corrected. Tunnel users must be protected.

Some object to raising the speed limit in the Snow Mountain Tunnel. Others responded immediately, expressing powerful disagreement. The Snow Mountain Tunnel offers too many conveniences. That is why traffic congestion is inevitable. The volume of traffic is simply too large to digest. That was what led to intense local demands to raise the speed limit.

This accident tells us safety must come first. The risks for the Snow Mountain Tunnel are greater than the risks for ordinary highways. An accident could put an entire tunnel, filled with vehicles and passengers, in danger. For the sake of public safety, the rules must be tightened. Therefore the speed limit in the Snow Mountain Tunnel should be reduced. Drivers driving too slowly or who illegally change lanes must be prosecuted. Vehicle photography and detection systems must be installed, as soon as possible. Following distances must be strictly enforced.

Safety has no price tag. One may return home early, or one may return home late. But one must be able to travel safely. One must be able to return home,period. This is the bottom line.

中時電子報 新聞
中國時報 　2012.05.09
隧道火災可怕 安全必須再強化
本報訊

    　通車才六年的雪山隧道七日發生嚴重的火燒車意外，釀成二死、卅餘人輕重傷的不幸事故，原本就被認為頗有安全疑慮的雪隧，經過此次慘重的教訓，證明必須對安全措施作更進一步的強化，才能保障所有行車人的安全。

    　全長十二點九公里的雪隧，是全球第五、亞洲第二長的隧道，這麼長的隧道，一旦發生火災，高溫及濃煙可能讓整條隧道都宛如封閉火場，導致乘客逃生困難。全球各地公路隧道發生火災而造成傷亡的情形時有所聞，一九九九年歐洲義大利與法國之間的「白朗峰隧道」因一輛卡車起火，卅五輛車被大火波及，共有卅九人被火燒死或被濃煙嗆死。而雪隧通車至今，已發生了九起火燒車事件，這次更出了人命，其中暴露出來的許多安全問題，必須盡快亡羊補牢。

    　第一項是速限問題。雪山隧道通車之後，往來宜蘭台北更加方便，旅客也明顯增多，假日車輛尤其川流不息。由於車多導致的塞車引發怨言，雪隧的速限於是一路往上調，從一開始的時速七十公里，逐漸調高到雪隧的「設計速限」九十公里，再外加開放十公里的「寬限值」，也就是說，民眾可以用逼近一百公里的時速行駛。這使每小時可通行的交通量，提高到二千六百至二千八百輛，提升疏運效率紓緩塞車問題。

    　但當時學界就有反對聲音指出，在實際執法上，可能是要到一○二或一○三公里才開單，其實時速已超過雪隧的設計速限。而許多常走雪隧的駕駛人表示，經常看到隧道中有人飆破一百，卻不見照相取締。

    　第二個問題是車距。這次車禍的發生，是因為一輛廂型車爆胎後減速，導致後方車輛發生追撞，一輛小貨車被首都客運猛烈追撞，引發大火，車上的夫婦兩人都被燒成焦屍。當時這些車輛是否車速過快，目前尚無法確認，但至少沒有保持足夠的安全車距，是絕對的事實，否則也不至於應變不及發生追撞。

    　按照規定，車輛行駛於雪隧應與前車保持至少五十公尺的距離，但其實很多駕駛根本無視於規定，跟車跟得緊緊的。或者有些駕駛開得太慢，後方駕駛一急就跟得緊，也導致距離無法拉開。

    　被放寬得過高的速限，加上沒有保持安全距離，再加上密閉超長隧道，等於危險性乘以三倍。一旦前面有狀況，很容易就出車禍，而偏偏在隧道裡一有車禍，嚴重性可能更為加劇，傷害更加慘重。

    　第三項是逃生避難問題。這次事故的兩名死者都是直接死於追撞車禍，其他乘客都幸運逃出，只是有些人受到了撞擊或嗆傷。但據乘客指出，在逃生過程非常混亂，聽不到避難指示廣播，慌張中找不到避難的人行橫坑；而逃生門因為開門後卡住未能自動關上，以至於濃煙也跟著躥入。濃煙的殺傷力甚至超過火焰，逃生門必須盡快改善，使其能在任何狀況下都能有效阻隔濃煙，才能讓避難者得到保護。

    　其實，這次雪隧排除濃煙只花了卅七分鐘，效果算是不錯。而除了車禍死者外沒有其他人喪生，也是不幸中的大幸。如果能針對這次事件暴露出來的許多安全漏洞進行加強，應該能讓用路人得到更多保障。

    　但是，才剛有人質疑雪隧提高速限的問題，馬上就有人大表不以為然。的確，就是因為雪隧提供了太多便利，以至於塞車問題始終無解，交通流量太大無法消化，才導致地方強烈要求提高速限。

    　雖然如此，這次的事故告訴我們，安全才是回家的唯一道路。尤其雪隧的危險性高於一般道路，一旦發生事故，會置整個隧道的車輛與乘客於險境，為了公眾的安全，不能不把規則訂得更嚴謹。因此，雪隧的速限應該予以降低，加強取締慢速或違規變換車道，並盡速研擬車輛攝影和偵測系統，嚴格要求保持行車距離。

    　安全無價，不管早回家還是晚回家，能夠平平安安出遊，安安全全回家，才是最重要的。