Head-on collision

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Standard wrong-way sign package used on all freeway off-ramps in California (and since copied by other states such as Georgia and Virginia).

A head-on collision is one where the front ends of two ships, trains, planes or vehicles hit each other, as opposed to a side-collision or rear-end collision.

1 Rail transport
- 1.1 Accidents
2 Sea transport
- 2.1 Accidents
3 Road transport
- 3.1 Accidents
4 See also

[edit] Rail transport

With rail, a head-on collision often implies a collision on a single line railway. This usually means that at least one of the trains has passed a signal at danger, or that a signalman has made a major error. Head-on collisions may also occur at junctions, for similar reasons.

With railways, the distance required for a train to stop is usually greater than the distance that can be sighted before the next blind curve, which is why signals and safeworking systems are so important.

[edit] Accidents

Note: if the collision occurs at a station or junction, or trains are travelling in the same direction, then the accident is not a pure head-on collision.

August 11, 1837 — Suffolk, Virginia
August 12, 1853 — Pawtucket, Rhode Island — 30 killed.
September 10, 1874 — Norwich Thorpe, Norfolk, England
August 7, 1876 — Radstock rail accident, Somerset, England
1892 — Lander, California
February 9, 1904 — Sand Point, Ontario — 15 killed.
September 24, 1904 — Morristown, Tennessee — 113 killed.
September 15, 1907, Canaan, New Hampshire
April 12, 1909 — Gary, Indiana train runs past a meet point.
June 19, 1909 — Shadyside, Indiana train runs past a meet point.
July 9. 1918 — Great train wreck of 1918, Nashville, Tennessee — 101 killed.
January 26, 1921 — Abermule train collision, Montgomeryshire 17 killed.
December 5, 1921 — Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania — 27 killed.
March 12, 1928 — Katukurunda, Sri Lanka — 28 killed.
March 15, 1957 — near Kuurila, Finland — 28 killed.
November 16, 1960 — Stéblová train disaster, Czechoslovakia: 118 killed.
1969 — Violet Town railway disaster, Australia — dead driver drives through crossing loop; no ATP; 9 killed.

July 25, 1980 — Winsum, Netherlands: Two trains collide on a single track between Groningen and Roodeschool resulting in 9 deaths. Not clear if accident "head-on".
January 27, 1982 — A freight train and an express passenger train collide head-on in heavy fog near Agra, India, killing 50.

January 21, 1985 — Gary, Indiana — two South Shore Line trains collide head-on, 85 injured.
1989/1991 — Glasgow Bellgrove and Newton, Scotland — both SPAD’s with track layout at single lead junctions a major contributory factor
1992 — Cowden rail crash, England.

January 14, 1996 — Hines Hill train collision, Australia — Signal Passed At Danger at a crossing loop causes a head-on collision
May 1, 1997 — Hornbækbanen, Denmark: Two trains collide frontally after one passed a red signal leaving Firhøj station. Both drivers are killed.
August 2, 1999 — Gauhati rail disaster — Two express trains collide head-on in. Over 285 people are killed.
September 9, 2002 — Bad Münder, Germany — Two freight trains collide head-on after a brake failure.
March 20, 2003 — Roermond, Netherlands — A NS passenger train collides head-on with a freight train;

July 1, 2006 — Roslyn, Pennsylvania — 30 injured.
August 27, 2006 — head-on collision between passenger and freight trains 30 km south of Victoria Falls — 5 killed.
October 11, 2006 — head-on collision at Zoufftgen

[edit] Sea transport

With shipping, there are two main factors influencing the chance of a head on collision. Firstly, even with radar and radio, it is difficult to tell what course the opposing ships are following. Secondly, big ships have so much momentum, that it is very hard to change course at the last moment.

[edit] Accidents

[edit] Road transport

In the context of freeways, such collisions are particularly difficult to avoid, since freeways were designed to facilitate high-speed travel. The resulting car accidents are often fatal.

Some U.S. states have installed special signage at freeway off-ramps to discourage drivers from going the wrong way. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices provides instruction on this signage installation in its Section 2E.50 .