Driver injured after laser shone at train - Gloucester, 9 February 2012

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the British Transport Police press release:

British Transport Police (BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)) is sending a warning after a laser was deliberately shone in the eyes of a train driver travelling through Gloucester last night (Thursday, 9 February).

As a result of the incident, which took place in the White City area around 9.30pm, the driver was left in some pain and requiring hospital treatment.

Sergeant Julian Ribchester, who is overseeing the investigation, said: ^The driver of the 2041hrs First Great Western service from Bristol Temple Meads to Worcester Shrub Hill reported that a green light, believed to be coming from a laser pen, had been shone in his eyes from the White City footbridge, off Southfield Road.

^This not only distracted the driver and potentially damaged his eye, but it also could have had serious safety consequences for the passengers. The driver^s attention was averted from his job of safely controlling the train.

^The injured driver was treated by paramedics and later taken to hospital. He is currently awaiting the results of medical assessments on his eye and is in some degree of pain.

^We are hopeful he^ll make a full recovery but, at this stage, he is in some discomfort.^

It was reported that two youths were seen on the footbridge. Officers who attended conducted an extensive search of the area, but to no avail.

Sgt Ribchester added: ^My officers will be on patrol in the area tonight and in the future to provide reassurance and liaise with the local community in light of this incident.

^I would appeal to anyone who was in the area last night and who may have seen anything suspicious to contact police.^

If you saw the incident or have any information that could assist police with their enquiries, contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 quoting incident number 636 of 09/02/2012. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

[ChrisB]

Hmmm. 2130 at this time of year, its dark.

So its unlikely that the perpetrators could see into the drivers cab & pick out his eyes? So, why didn't the driver just move his head slightly out of the lasers line? The distance involved, plus the darkness, would likely mean the perpetrator wouldn't catch him again....just my 2p.

Of course, they were defintely in the wrong & need catching. Just think the driver could easily avoid....

[IndustryInsider]

Have you had experience of dodging lasers then?  It strikes me (pun kind of intended) that they look like a normal light if shone in your general direction until the beam catches you directly in the eye for a fraction of a second and then it's too late as the damage has been done.  If drivers spent their whole time dodging any old light in the night sky then they'd have their heads permanently ducked down behind the dashboard.

[ChrisB]

You can see the line of laserlight if not shone directly into your face....

[JayMac]

Right. So it's the driver's fault for not dodging the beam then is it? 

[ChrisB]

Where did I say that?

[Chris from Nailsea]

Here:

... why didn't the driver just move his head slightly out of the lasers line?

 

[ChrisB]

That's purely asking the question!

Re - a laser is a beam of light, not just a dot like a street light. For someone to hit your eye first time without moving it about first has such a small chance as to be negligable. You try hitting something the size of a pin-head from switch on....

The perpetrator wasn't standing inches or feet from him - he was outside the train, yards away....probably over 100 yards away, in the dark. I doubt s/he could even see the drivers head. He would have seen it coming....

As I said, it was wrong, they do need to be found.

[JayMac]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_pointer#Hazards

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_blindness

[ChrisB]

Indeed.

[IndustryInsider]

He would have seen it coming....

Well, he obviously didn't. 

As most drivers will never have had anything like that happen to them, his reactions probably went something like: 'I wonder if the next signal is green' to 'what's that light?' followed by 'there's a beam of light pointing at me - is that a twat with a laser' to 'arghhh - yet it bloody well is!' - all within a timescale where it would be very difficult to expect someone to realise what's going on, assess the potential damage to their eyes and move out of the way.

[phile]

Has anybody heard of the condition of the driver as posible damage to the eye has been suggested.

[JayMac]

On a related note and with potentially more serious consequences:

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Laser light shone at police helicopter in Bristol

Three men from Bristol have been charged after a laser was shone at a police helicopter.

The men, one aged 19 and two aged 18, were charged after the incident on Thursday.

Police said shining the laser at the helicopter shortly after midnight was a "dangerous and reckless act".

The three men were charged with endangering an aircraft and are due to appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court on 19 March.

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

I have seen laser beams shone into the air when occasionally out and around at night with the dog but the beams are flashed around and not just a steady beam. I can well imagine that the perpetrators of this crime could have juggled the beam around the area of the cab, Indeed it would probably have been necessary to do so to keep the beam on a moving train.
What is needed is legislation to set a maximum power and range of these potentially dangerous items. They are sold as markers for a lecturer to use in a room so that particular points of a dsiplay can be identified and there is therefore no need for the beam to be more powerful than to travel a few feet.

[ChrisB]

If you follow the wiki link above, you'll see there is a form of regulation of those sold in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) at least.