Tree risk perception.

[Bundle 2]

Being aware that I may find myself speaking out of turn, certainly ahead of the findings of any inquiry...This article (from the HW) started alarm bells ringing.

The reporting has implied that the bus struck the tree (and not the other way around.) So what..(Its the tree's fault?)

 

Fatal accident stresses need to invest more in tree care | Arboriculture News | Horticulture Week

[arbclimber]

Seems strange that they conclude that more needs to be spent on tree care.

Incident only suggests to me that more needs to be spent on training bus drivers.

[Alinicoll]

I does seem strange, if a bus hit a lamp post and the lamp post hit a person you might conclude that the bus was the cause not the lamp post.

[Bundle 2]

Except that huge sums have been invested in designing lamposts in a way that ensures they collapse with a minimum impact (consequence) to the vehicle...As are roadside signings these days.

The issue tho' is one of finance. It is extremely expensive to produce crumple posts in comparison. We still feel it is worthwhile. But not in all situations .The same could be said of encap safety ratings...

Clearly it costs alot of dough for a 3 month investigation. If I was cynnical, I might not be too impressed in an investigation that concludes the bus struck the tree.....

I dont want to continue for fear of seeming insensitive. It does seem however, to be an issue of what we "perceive" an acceptable risk in the same way it is an issue of what we "deem" an acceptable expense. The truth is I think we are being led a merry dance. It is hard to know how exactly we set about getting our minds right....?

[Alinicoll]

You might speculate though that if the bus had not hit the tree, it may well have hit the person anyway. Obviously the details are not very clear.

 

I assume the very reason this type of thing is reported is because it is very unusaul. You could also say that the only way to ensure this did not happen again was doing pull test on all roadside trees, not really practical, nor foolproof.

 

Either way if a vehicle impacts something by the road that thing will either be a person (not good), or it will bend (good for the driver, not good for the person behind the sign), or it will not bend (not so good for the driver, better for the person behind)

 

I suppose we could just wrap everyone and everything in cotton wool.

[arbclimber]

I do agree Bundle. I can see that it needs to be ascertained whether the condition of the tree or its (possible) lack of maintenance contributed to the severe outcome of the incident. Obviously some trees, in poor condition, should be dealt with as a matter of urgency if next to the highway but nooone can ever guarantee that any tree will be safe in exceptional circumstances, ie hit by a bus. I'm sure everyone on here has been asked at some point by a customer if their tree is safe and if it is going to fall over in the near future. The truth is trees are natural and each one is completely unique. Unless there is to be a ce mark for bus resistant trees I think all we can do is show due care and find a happy medium between becoming paranoid about every tree and just leaving them to look after themselves.

[Pommie]

The tree was in a comparable condition to the rest of the trees in that row/ Street.

[Andy Clark]

Just to add my ten-penneth......

 

 

You do all realise that this article is over 18 months old, don't you???

[Andy Clark]

Here's some more info......

 

BBC NEWS | England | London | One dead as bus crashes into tree

 

One dead after bus hits tree | Woman dies in bus smash | The Sun |News

 

Woman killed by tree in bus crash horror | News

 

Video: Woman killed and at least 18 injured after bus hits tree near Tower Bridge - mirror.co.uk

[Pommie]

Driver given 8 points and a fine. I can t remember exactly what the charge was. He was found to be at fault.

 

The real tragedy was the poor woman who was completely under the trunk of the tree.