Zurich to test the airbag tram

Following a series of fatal accidents, Verkehrsbetriebe Zurich (VBZ) has confirmed that it is considering adding external airbags to its trams.  

 

The public transport provider has noted that the number of medical emergencies involving trams has steadily increased in recent years and officials are now calling on the company to act.  

 

VBZ reports that 675 accidents involving trams were reported in the city in 2023 - the most of the last 6 years. Most of these were made up of incidents caused by trams starting or stopping, followed by incidents involving tram doors.  

 

In March 2024, three people were fatally injured by trams in just one week. This led to city cou8ncil members demanding that the transport operator take action. 

 

Now VBZ has confirmed that it is working with tram manufacturer Alstom to test whether fitting trams with an external airbag would make them safer. Already used on older fleet vehicles, this airbag is attached to the front of the tram and inflates when activated by a sensor or signal from the driver.  

 

'In frontal tam accidents, people first hit their head on the glass and then fall to the ground...An airbag pushes the person away and prevents the impact to a large extent' noted Heinz Schulthess, president of the Tranfair union.  

 

VBZ confirmed it will continue to test the technology in the coming weeks and a decision is expected to be reached in the summer.