Podcast Script

Episode 1: Tragic train wreck in Chatsworth, CA
Intro music: What Would You Say - Dave Matthews Band (30 seconds then fade out)

Hello everyone, and thank you for tuning in! This is Kayleigh Lemon here to discuss a recent incident in Chatsworth, CA. Now as many of us know, it is foolish to talk on our cell phones while driving. Lately more light has been shed on the issue of texting while driving, which has also proven to be extremely foolish and irresponsible. However, we don’t hear much about texting while conducting a train. As ludicrous as it sounds, that’s exactly what happened on September 12th, 2008 and resulted in many deaths and injuries. Here’s the story:

(train wreck sound)

With the many modes of transportation used daily in the United States, it seems inevitable that there would be accidents and malfunctions. And while this is true, it didn’t keep many people from being shocked September 12th, 2008 when a Metrolink commuter train conductor continued along a track that a Union Pacific freight train was given the “right of way” to use and the two machines collided in Chatsworth, CA (Sky News). The tragic accident was responsible for taking twenty-five lives and injuring at least one hundred thirty people (Sky News). It is believed that the conductor of the Metrolink train, Robert Sanchez, missed the red light that was given to him because he was busy sending text messages (Sky News). While the severity of this incident could labeled it as a bizarre accident, it sheds light on some pressing issues concerning the safety of train travel, and text messaging as a common and sometimes deadly distraction.
Although trains are used throughout the United States, and for many people it is a common inconvenience to be stopped in traffic as a train rolls by, they still seem to be out dated. After hearing a story from a friend that the train she traveled on to California actually hit and killed a person on the way there, and having been on a train myself on which the conductor claimed to have “just nearly hit a pedestrian,” I am beginning to believe that trains are simply unsafe. Although train travel and safety has certainly improved over time, there are still more train fatalities than automobile fatalities per one hundred million vehicle miles traveled. According to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 1.37 fatalities due to car accidents were reported per one hundred million vehicle miles traveled. This compares to the ninety eight fatalities reported from the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis per one hundred million miles traveled.
While I would hate to put all the blame on a single person for this tragic accident, it cannot be ignored that the Metrolink conductor is reported to have been sending and receiving text messages at the time of the accident (Sky News). According to Sky News, “Sending texts while driving a train is a violation of operator Metrolink's policy but not illegal.” Text messaging is almost ubiquitous in America, but people need to realized that in many cases it is a deadly or harmful distraction. According to Steve Vogel, “revealed that text-messaging while driving is becoming as dangerous as drinking and driving, in terms of inhibiting a teen’s driving abilities” (Vogel). And even though text messaging while driving is most prominent among teenage drivers, it is certainly equally a distraction for those adults who choose to text message also.
The train accident in Chatsworth has brought due attention to the rail system and the deadly distraction of text messaging when one should be paying attention to what they are doing. While the train industry may not be affected by the incident too heavily, as texting while conducting a train is not generally thought of as a common issue, this accident will most likely add to the effort to outlaw texting while driving. I believe the law would not be welcomed by many teens, but it would certainly be helpful in the promotion of safe driving. Laws like this would affect everyone on the road, because everyone driving is put in danger when someone near them is distracted by sending or reading a text message.

Music: How to Save a Life - The Fray (play seconds 0:46 to 1:00)

Conclusion:
Although many of us have been guilty of texting while driving, I am hoping accidents like the one at Chatsworth will encourage all of us to make wiser and safer decisions. Thank you again for tuning in, and have a great day!