Transport for London was not aware tram drivers could override the "dead man's handle", which is supposed to stop the vehicle if a driver becomes incapacitated, until about three months after the fatal Croydon tram crash.
The driver safety device is supposed to bring a tram to a stop and sound an alarm if pressure is not maintained on the controls by the driver.
However, until early March the newer Stadler trams, 12 of the 35 vehicles, had an override function. The 23 Bombardier...
