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 After the accident, several passengers said they did not recall hearing a safety briefing when they boarded the train One passenger provided the following account.

My mother—in-law {had} asked us did we know where the emergency exit was. It was at her seat. .I woke up as the train started detailing .water began rushing in then we went straight to the emergency exit. We only had a few seconds because it was sinking fast I don't remember seeing any other passengers besides the three of us and our actions were to escape from the car through the emergency window. only because [my mother-in—law] asked before we left New Orleans We didn't have time to look. We just knew where it was and without question we were there.

Another passenger stated, "The car filled with water so fast it was very dark I only wanted to find the door I did not know about any emergency exits. . .No one told me what to do in an emergency I got on in Los Angeles " A third passenger said he could not swim and that a fellow passenger helped him evacuate through an exit He added, "Crewmembers must point out the emergency exits when passengers board the train we boarded at 11 p m so even though I sat next to an exit, I didn't consciously notice it. "

One passenger who helped several other passengers testified that this trip was his first one on Amtrak and that he did not recall hearing a safety briefing when he boarded in Los Angeles. A fellow passenger commented: "There needs to be emergency instructions provided by the crew (like the airlines) You don't think something like this will ever happen to you so emergency instructions aren't that important. I know emergency procedures for a plane from hearing it so many times. "

Since most OBS crewmembers were asleep in the dorm-coach and since the train attendants were in the cars on the bridge, passengers in the submerged cars had to make decisions on their own and evacuate without assistance. The fact that at least some apparently had not received safety briefings added to the confusion Fortunately, a few passengers took control of the situation, located exits, and told others what to do. Safety briefings give passengers confidence that they know what actions to take in the event of an emergency and thus help motivate them to respond appropriately.

The Safety Board concludes that some passengers on board train 2 were unaware of safety information and that Amtrak does not have an effective system for apprising passengers of such information. Current written guidelines allow the OBS supervisor and train attendants to determine at which stations they will give briefings about emergency procedures, and the guidelines direct conductors to make an announcement about such procedures during departures from all stations. However, according to an Amtrak official, the conductor's announcement is required at the beginning of the trip, and either the conductor or OBS personnel are to give additional briefings at "major" stops, which have not been defined. The Safety Board believes Amtrak needs to develop and implement a uniform system to effectively apprise passengers of information pertaining to safety features. 54