Oddball facts about Metro trains and their first 25 accidents

Houston Chronicle ^ | March 29, 2004 | LANA BERKOWITZ

[Flyer]

Police reports for the first 25 vehicle accidents involving the Metro light rail reveal only one fact for certain: Aries are the safest drivers.

The collisions began Nov. 19 although the light-rail system didn't open to the public until Jan. 1. The list keeps growing -- it hit 31 Monday -- but this roundup focuses on the 25 pioneers, a diverse group.

Officers don't ask for drivers' horoscope signs, but a check of birth dates reveals no Aries among the crashers. But it seems Geminis like to drive on the wild side.

There are two Marys and a Maria in the stack of police reports. Also, contrary to water-cooler speculation, there's only one guy with the middle name Wayne. But there's also one named Dwayne, and everyone knows that a Dwayne is worth five Waynes.

A couple of errant drivers pulled out of driveways into the trains and someone ran a red light, but most of the crashes were due to illegal left turns. Repeat: illegal left turns.

Metro spokesman Ken Connaughton definitely sees a pattern: "People aren't paying attention."

Here's a look at the numbers.

What's your sign?

Gemini (5)

Pisces (3)

Virgo (3)

Scorpio (3)

Cancer (2)

Leo (2)

Libra (2)

Sagittarius (2)

Taurus (1)

Capricorn (1)

Aquarius (1)

Aries (0)

How many thought there would be more women than men?

Men (16)

Women (9)

White guys are in the majority.

White males (13)

White females (6)

Black females (2)

Black male (1)

Asian female (1)

Asian male (1)

Hispanic male (1)

Most of the wreckers were ages 32 to 59, but a septuagenarian from Angleton managed to find the side of a rail car. Note: no reckless teenagers!

24-29 (4)

32-39 (6)

41-49 (7)

50-59 (6)

64 (1)

71 (1)

It's probably best to avoid the rail line at certain times. Time of accidents:

8:20-9:35 a.m. (3)

10:17 a.m.-10:38 a.m. (5)

11:50 a.m.-1:47 p.m. (9)

2:10-4:30 p.m. (5)

6:18-7:47 p.m. (3)

Avoid Main Street on Fridays. The light rail is particularly attractive to cars just before the weekend. Crashes by day:

Sunday (1)

Monday (4)

Tuesday (5)

Wednesday (4)

Thursday (1)

Friday (7)

Saturday (3)

Sixteen drivers were from Houston. Nine towns had one offender each. No Groesbeck jokes, please.

Angleton

Beaumont

Hillsboro

Groesbeck

Grapevine

Humble

Kingwood

Sugar Land

Knoxville, Tenn.

A Channel 2 reporter started the crash parade in November. One woman said she had no occupation. Driver job descriptions:

Manager (3)

Student (2)

Construction (2)

Nurse (2)

Retiree (2 )

None

Self-employed

Driver/guard

Electrician

Engineer

Galvanization operator

Geophysicist

Hair dresser

Insurance agent

Musician

Rail repair

Reporter

Unemployed

Welder

It's a bland parade of vehicles, especially if you lump the first three colors together.

White (5)

Gray (4)

Silver (2)

Black (4)

Green (3)

Blue (2)

Brown (2)

Red (1)

Tan (1)

Maroon (1)

A guy who said he was a manager probably said "darn" when he crashed his 2004 brown Ford F-150. The crumpled vehicles:

1981 Chevrolet truck

1984 Chevrolet Suburban

1988 Ford Crown Victoria

1989 Dodge Dynasty

1990 Mercedes

1992 GMC pickup

1992 Toyota Previa

1996 Toyota 4Runner

1997 Mercury Sable station wagon

1997 Nissan pickup

1997 Toyota Land Cruiser

1998 Dodge Stratus

1999 Jeep Cherokee

1999 GMC C7500 utility van

1999 Toyota Sienna

2000 Chevrolet Astro van

2000 Chevrolet Venture van

2000 Ford Explorer

2001 Pontiac Grand Prix

2002 Acura RSX

2002 Mercury Sable

2002 Toyota Camry

2003 Dodge Durango

2003 BMW 330i

2004 Ford F-150 pickup

[Flyer]

how, where could I find the METRO bus rider numbers for the routes that were taken away by the wham-bam tram?

If that info is available I bet Metro has it hidden well. Lotsa luck.

[Flyer]

should be painted black and yellow angled stripes, like a "DANGER" sign

But, but. . . this train is much more about pretty than practical.

[TexasCajun]

With 31 wrecks (as of this morning) it's undeniable that Houston mass transit is taking cars off the road faster than planners envisioned.

Great post, I'll be borrowing it if you don't mind.

[TexasCajun]

With 31 wrecks (as of this morning) it's undeniable that Houston mass transit is taking cars off the road faster than planners envisioned.

Great post, I'll be borrowing it if you don't mind.

[TexasCajun]

With 31 wrecks (as of this morning) it's undeniable that Houston mass transit is taking cars off the road faster than planners envisioned.

Great post, I'll be borrowing it if you don't mind.

[Willie Green]

Light-Rail-At-Work ping for ya!

Thanks for the ping.

Interesting stats.
They prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that bonehead Houstonian drivers come from all walks of life.
Oughta make EVERYBODY in Houston take a Driver Safety refresher course before renewing their driver's licesne.
If they flunk, revoke the license and let 'em ride the train.
Houston streets will be a LOT safer without those idiots who don't know how to drive.

[judgeandjury]

A couple of errant drivers pulled out of driveways into the trains and someone ran a red light, but most of the crashes were due to illegal left turns. Repeat: illegal left turns.

If these drivers had paid attention to where they were going and obeyed all of the traffic laws, all of these accidents could have been avoided.

[Flyer]

If these drivers had paid attention to where they were going and obeyed all of the traffic laws, all of these accidents could have been avoided.

I'm so tired of you folks that don't take the time to understand the situation. Do you know it runs down the middle of the streets in our medical center? Do you know it shares lanes with cars at some points? Have you ever driven the area?

[Willie Green]

I'm so tired of you folks that don't take the time to understand the situation. Do you know it runs down the middle of the streets in our medical center? Do you know it shares lanes with cars at some points? Have you ever driven the area?

I grew up in Pittsburgh when there were light-rail trolleys and streetcar lines all over the place. Just like there were in many, many other American cities. NO PROBLEM. Idiots in Houston just plain don't know how to drive. The truth is, most of the accidents were the fault of careless automobile drivers not paying attention to other traffic on the road and making illegal left-hand turns.

[Dog Gone]

We could land airliners on our freeways, too, if we gave them the right of way over vehicles. It doesn't mean it would be a good idea.

[weegee]

Newsflash, if drivers controlled their speed and yielded the right of way, most of every day's vehicular accidents (whether with the rail, cars/trucks, or pedestrians) could be avoided.

Note to Comical: Many accidents are avoidable, it doesn't lessen the impact when the happen.

[weegee]

Houston has some parts of the rail where the turn lane for cars making a LEGAL left turn is on the rail track itself (the cars drive and sit on the tracks facing the same direction as the train).

And as 1/3 of the drivers are not local, that would mean that drivers in general are stupid, not just Houston's drivers.

[theFIRMbss]

I'm a Scorpio,
white male, forty-three years old . . .
Some train has my name . . .

[Willie Green]

Houston has some parts of the rail where the turn lane for cars making a LEGAL left turn is on the rail track itself (the cars drive and sit on the tracks facing the same direction as the train).

No different than anywhere else that has trolleys and streetcars.

And as 1/3 of the drivers are not local, that would mean that drivers in general are stupid, not just Houston's drivers.

OK. Then TEXAS drivers are more stupid than anywhere else in the nation.
That oughta make Kalifornia Kooks feel better.

[weegee]

I don't recall any place in Boston that has drivers pahk their cah on the T-line tracks while waiting to make a left turn.

[weegee]

Our medical center receives a tremendous number of foreign patients. It is internally recognized. Think anybody driving through the medical center who doesn't live here locally could be visiting from another country?

[johnb838]

Our medical center receives a tremendous number of foreign patients.

OK, it's the Carpet Pilot drivers that are stupid. I like that better. I wish people wouldn't use this as just another excuse to bash Texans. This is really about the democrat party machine that runs Houston and the affirmative action babies Lee Brown (the Dread Pirate Mayor - ex) and Shirley Delibero (the Transit Queen) who together don't have sense enough to pour piss out of a boot with instructions on the heel. Idiots. Criminally corrupt idiots.

[Willie Green]

I don't recall any place in Boston that has drivers pahk their cah on the T-line tracks while waiting to make a left turn.

I'm not very familiar with Boston.
But the downtown streets of many older eastern cities, such as Pittsburgh, are often too narrow to accommodate dedicated left-hand turns. Left-turns, if permitted, are simply made from a left-lane that also accommodates straight-through traffic. No problem.

But that's a disingenous dodge anyway.
Houston drivers who were involved in accidents with the Metro weren't just innocently sitting in their cars waiting to make a legal turn.
Previous articles on this issue identified them as idiots attempting illegal turns.

[Willie Green]

Our medical center receives a tremendous number of foreign patients. It is internally recognized.

Their facilities must be hugh.
I bet they can treat some very series ailments.

[GOPcapitalist]

Oughta make EVERYBODY in Houston take a Driver Safety refresher course before renewing their driver's licesne.

Did you not read the article, Willie? Over a THIRD of the wreck victims are out of towners (and even more are suburbanites who probably don't travel into downtown houston very often). No ammount of public safety campaign will ever get all the out of towners to quit crashing and absent a nationwide test program, your little license renewal scheme could never be enforced. If you want to see wrecks decline I've got a simple solution for you: FIX THE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRAIN.