r/interestingasfuck • u/HomeNowWTF • 22h ago

Tram airbags, coming soon to Zurich

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u/Nugget834 22h ago

that was my first thought.. but hey better than being hit?

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u/Legionof1 21h ago

Die instantly or die like a pencil in a sharpener…

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u/ACCTAGGT 21h ago

Possibly an instantaneous death by being hit as opposed to being dragged maybe alive who knows how far?

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u/Hokulol 21h ago

What a myopic, simple way of looking at things.

The airbags are being installed for a purpose: they are believed to reduce the probability of casualty. Sure, there is a chance of a more horrific death. But there is less chance of death. Easy to wrap your mind around, yeah? If you have to choose between reducing death and saving the rest of someone's life, or the last 3 seconds of someone's life being worse... save the life, brother.

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u/ACCTAGGT 21h ago

The person I replied to was saying better that than being hit. You are talking about reducing deaths. I am just adding another possibility that could lead to a horrible death too. Is that myopic or inviting you to have a conversation about other scenarios instead of coming directly at me in the process? If the former, well, I see.

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u/Hokulol 21h ago

It is better to be hit by a tram with airbags than a tram without an airbag, provided the airbags reduce probability of casualty. I don't understand how you are confused how this is on topic and a direct reply to what you said. It's better to get hit by this, because you have a lower chance of RIP, irrespective of other scenarios you may be able to imagine for peoples last moments.

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u/ACCTAGGT 21h ago

"Provided the airbags reduce probability of casualty".

Hence my other scenario. That’s all I was doing. If that doesn’t work, what would I prefer… an instant death or being dragged who knows how horribly? I think the former.

I understand your whole explanation though in the best case scenario about what can reduce more causalities if this mechanism works as intended.

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u/Hokulol 21h ago

My explanation isn't about the best case scenario, it's about the average scenario, and if it is or is not preferable to be hit by one of these before you know the outcome.

In other words, if it is or is not better to be hit by one of these or not, which is what the guy said.

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u/ACCTAGGT 21h ago

That’s kind of what i meant except I used "best case scenario" in the sense of this working on average as intended. My bad if that wasn't phrased more intelligibly, sorry.

And as for being hit, I explained what is my view of it in a different situation for this.

I’m not sure what else to tell you

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u/Hokulol 10h ago edited 10h ago

You could start by saying "He was right, it is better to get hit by one of these than one without because you have a significantly lower chance of passing away, which is the most important part."

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u/Ok_Performer50 15h ago

Not really. At the time the airbag inflates, the tram will already have hit the brakes. They don't go usually fast.

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u/TheDotCaptin 21h ago

Maybe snow plow shaped. Push them off to the side on the first impact.

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u/Hokulol 21h ago edited 21h ago

Not a bad thought, but, I am sure the engineers who design these things aren't dumb. Have you considered that there is traffic in lanes surrounding trams? I'm not pretending I know the answers either, but I'd bet they probably know safety statistics better than us. Maybe not, who knows. It's entirely possible that hoping the person isn't dragged for a significant distance is the best way. It's also possible that some guy was like "Airbags on trams LOL" and that's all the thought that went into it.