Where’s The safest Seat on A Train? – Dave’s Diary

The Amtrak derailment in Pennsylvania has again shined the national spotlight on train safety.  I have taken Amtrak back to the Midwest three times and while all trips were safe and for the most part ok, they weren’t without incident.Once the workers went on strike and I was stranded in North Dakota and had to fly back to Washington.  Both other times,  there was a problem with the tracks ahead and we had to be bussed around the breakdown in the middle of the night.  Not fun so all in all, I’m not really a fan.

Still they say trains are actually one of the safest ways to get around, but travelers who are nervous in the wake of the deadly Amtrak derailment should at least consider searching out the safest place to sit .

According to LiveScience, which cited a 2013 CBS News interview with the president of the National Association of Railroad Passengers, safety seekers should head to a car located one or two back from the middle of the train.

Safety experts say if there's an accident, derailments are much more likely to happen than hitting another train or car head-on or being hit from behind, and they most often happen near the front of the train.

Riders are also safer in aisle seats, since passengers in window seats are more likely to be injured by broken glass or thrown from the train if there's an accident. Safety experts also recommended sitting in a rear-facing seat, since you'll be less likely to be thrown forward during a collision.