Using signal detection theory to understand grade crossing warning time and motorist stopping behavior.

Details

• Creators:
  Raslear, Thomas G.
• Corporate Creators:
  United States. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research and Development
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Railroad grade crossings
  • Grade crossing protection systems
  • Warning devices
  • Behavior
  • Drivers
  • Collisions
  • Compliance
  • Human error
• 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.
  More +
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/28988/dot_28988_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 723.92 KB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection ; Federal Railroad Administration
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:cb41d54437814bd31ac51dd3a7668f6cc3bc953e5279d163e3a793acc2c137c1