Humans have a tendency to ask, "What if?" or to think, "If only...." It's a natural response that makes coping with a fatal accident even harder than it already is. Nevertheless, it happens, and when something comes around that answers the question or finishes the sentence, it doesn't seem to make sense that everyone wouldn't embrace it.

For the families of 53 people who have died and more than 1,000 people who have been injured in train accidents over the last decade or so -- South Carolina families among them -- the current debate about Positive Train Control technology must be frustrating.

A federal law mandated that PTC be installed in American tracks by 2015. Even in the face of the rule, though, the debate continues. Safety advocates strongly support the use of PTC, but the railroads do not.

As we discussed in our last post, the railroads say the technology is too expensive. Federal agencies are split. The Obama administration's resolve to streamline regulations bolsters the argument against across-the-board PTC implementation.

The Government Accountability Office, part of the executive branch, issued a report in 2010 that opponents have used to stoke their fires. Although the report did not look at the system's effectiveness, it did look at the ease of implementation -- and found it wanting. The GAO concluded that implementation of PTC would likely be delayed beyond 2015.

Limited federal funds are also on railroads' list of complaints. Industry representatives say they thought the federal government would offer more than minimal help paying the $13 billion tab; with none forthcoming, the atmosphere is ripe for efforts to extend the deadline or to do away with the mandate altogether.

The Federal Railroad Administration agrees that PTC would improve safety. The agency's complaint is a strict cost/benefit analysis: As planned, PTC would save only 4 or 5 lives per year, not enough to justify the investment.

With another contentious election cycle coming up, and the deadline getting closer, it's hard to guess if either side will budge.

Source: FairWarning.org, "As Rail Tragedies Fade From Memory, Resistance to Safety Rule Gains Steam," Justine Sharrock, Laurie Udesky, and Stuart Silverstein, Jan. 19, 2012