What Happens If You Touch the Third Rail? Don‘t Find Out.
As a passionate gamer and content creator, I feel a responsibility to raise awareness about important safety issues like the dangers of the third rail. Touching the high voltage third rail, even accidentally, is extremely dangerous and most often fatal.
The Third Rail Carries Deadly Amounts of Electricity
The third rail typically carries between 600-750 volts of electricity – enough to kill anyone instantly. This is over 100 times more powerful than a standard wall outlet. The human body simply cannot withstand that kind of electric current.
Do not experiment with the third rail. I cannot emphasize this enough. Accidentally falling or coming into contact with the third rail happens more often than you might think, so stay alert and steer clear when around subway tracks or railway lines.
What Physically Happens When You Touch the Third Rail
You become part of the circuit – the electricity will enter your body at the point of contact and exit through another part of your body that‘s touching the ground. This completes the circuit needed for the electricity to flow through you.
Your muscles involuntarily contract, making it impossible to let go of the rail. You are essentially trapped as the electricity courses through your body.
The electric shock instantly scrambles the nerves and disrupts the rhythm of your heartbeat. Ventricular fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) quickly causes cardiac arrest.
If you miraculously survive the initial shock, you may sustain severe internal burns from the heat generated by the strong electrical current.
So in plain terms – you‘ll be badly burned, your heart will stop, and you‘ll die without immediate medical attention. Not worth the risk.
Shocking (Bad Pun Intended) Death Statistics
Approximately 90-100 people are killed every year by the third rail in subway systems around the world. Many of these are suicides, but accidental deaths still occur regularly.
For example, in New York City, an average of about 25 people per year die from electrocution by the third rail. Studies show that half of those are likely suicides. The remaining deaths are from people accidentally falling onto the tracks, individuals with mental illness wandering onto the tracks, or simply foolish mistakes.
My point is – don‘t add to those preventable death statistics. Stay vigilant and steer very clear of metro railway tracks and the third rail. Inform your friends too because awareness saves lives.
How To Stay Safe Around Train Tracks
- Always stay behind the yellow safety line on subway platforms
- Never walk on or along train tracks – it‘s illegal trespassing
- Stand back from the platform edge until your train arrives
- Pay attention to keep belongings and children away from the tracks
- If you drop something onto the tracks, report it to the station authority. Never try to retrieve items yourself.
- If someone falls onto the tracks, immediately contact the station agent – do not jump down yourself.
- Be alert to your surroundings and steer clear of third rails anywhere you encounter train tracks
Following these simple safety precautions around railways could save your life and those around you. We all have people counting on us, so make smart decisions.
Let‘s keep this conversation focused on safety awareness. I love providing gaming content as much as you enjoy consuming it, but some topics require a serious tone. Please be wise and stay safe around train tracks so we can keep enjoying this amazing hobby together for years to come!
