What happened this time? Why didn’t the train slow down? The engineer who was driving the train claims the brakes failed. If this is the case, the tragedy has to be chalked up to simple dumb luck. All machines fail eventually, which is why we have safety checks—but even those checks can’t catch everything every time. Misunderstood circumstances can lead to machine failure, and the only thing to do is study those circumstances after the fact and add findings to the checklist.
But there’s evidence that the brakes did not fail, that it was the engineer himself who was responsible. He claims he did not fall asleep, that he had a full night’s rest. No drugs or alcohol were detected, either. And safety devices on the train, such as a “dead man’s switch” would have engaged if the engineer had fallen asleep and his hands had fallen from the controls.
So, if it wasn’t the brakes, or sleep, what would keep a man at the controls but not aware of the coming curve? His brain, if course. Enter Automaticity.
You can walk without thinking about it, ride a bicycle, even tie your shoes or a hundred other seemingly complicated tasks. Ever drive a car from home to work, lost in thought, and arrive with no memory of the journey whatsoever?
Unfortunately, the engineer, having become so efficient at operating the train, was able to do so without requiring any vigilance. He simply “zoned” out, and his brain did not register the landmarks indicating the curve was approaching. He may have been lost in thought, or in a simple meditative state, both of which would allow him to be “awake” without being aware.
Can anything be done about this? Of course. Add to that checklist measures to keep the engineer engaged in his activities. Driving several hundred people with several hundred tons of steel should never be done automatically. Invest every trip with novelty and purpose, and automaticity can be thwarted.
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