Tips for Subway Car Safety

Lately, subway safety has been focused on the platform. However, there is also a risk of injury while riding on the subway. Here are some tips to follow to stay safe on the subway.

First and foremost, the MTA warns that you can be seriously injured by surfing (riding on top of the train) or skylarking (riding the train while holding onto the outside doors). Surfing and skylarking are against the law. The MTA also offers these tips to avoid a subway accident injury:

• Do not board between subway cars. While it may seem to save you some time, it’s extremely dangerous.
• Do not try to keep the subway car doors from closing while entering and exiting the train. The car doors are not like elevator doors and therefore do not reopen automatically.
• Make sure that personal items — such as bags, packages, umbrellas and clothing — are clear of the doors before they closed.
• Do not ride between the subway cars or lean against the doors.
• If you are standing inside the train, always hold on.

What can you do to prevent another person from being injured on the train? If someone has gotten caught in the closing doors or is being dragged by the subway, pull the emergency cord. You should not pull the cord if someone on the train becomes ill between stations. A sick passenger is better off waiting until the train makes it to the next station, where he or she can receive medical attention.