Details:

Creators:
Raslear, Thomas G.
Corporate Creators:
United States. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research and Development
Subject/TRT Terms:
[+]
Behavior Collisions Compliance Drivers Grade Crossing Protection Systems Human Error Railroad Grade Crossings Warning Devices
Publication/ Report Number:
DOT/FRA/ORD-15/02
Resource Type:
Tech Report
Geographical Coverage:
United States
Corporate Publisher:
United States. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research and Development
Abstract:
Motorist error or poor judgment is a significant causal factor in highway-rail grade crossing collisions. Crashes at grade crossings

equipped with warning devices often involve motorists who drive around gates or across railroad tracks while flashing lights are warning

them that a train is approaching. This noncompliant behavior may be due to the motorists’ expectations of train arrival time following

activation of gates and lights as well as the overall duration of the warning. Because warning times are variable, it is uncertain whether

the mean warning duration, the variability of the warning’s duration, or both are influencing motorists’ decisions to disregard the

warnings. As a result, signal detection theory was used to model motorists’ stopping behavior at active grade crossings. The key factor

in predicting motorist stopping behavior is treating the subjective probability that a train is in the grade crossing as a function of the

expected arrival time of the train and this was modeled with Gaussian, Chi-squared and Poisson probability distributions. The

probability of stopping predicted from each probability distribution was compared with data collected by Richards and Heathington

(1990). The Gaussian model provided the best fit to the data and indicated that warning time variability is the most important factor

affecting motorist stopping behavior. Additional data collection to confirm and refine the model is discussed. A theory of motorist

behavior at grade crossings, such as signal detection theory, provides a means to critically examine inchoate hypotheses so that they can

be more formally stated and vigorously tested. This theory should continue to be developed for evaluating motorist behavior at grade

crossings.


Format:
PDF
Collection(s):
US Transportation Collection Federal Railroad Administration
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:cb41d54437814bd31ac51dd3a7668f6cc3bc953e5279d163e3a793acc2c137c1
Download URL:
https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/28988/dot_28988_DS1.pdf
File Type:

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