MERITS OF VARIOUS TYPES OF HIGHWAY-RAILWAY GRADE CROSSING PROTECTION

TRAIN-INVOLVED ACCIDENT RECORDS WERE STUDIED OF 27 SINGLE-TRACK CROSSINGS WHERE AUTOMATIC GATES WERE ADDED TO FLASHING-LIGHT SIGNALS. THE BEFORE-AND-AFTER ACCIDENT EXPERIENCE AT THESE CROSSINGS IS PRESENTED. THE BEFORE-AND-AFTER ACCIDENT EXPERIENCE AT 40 MULTIPLE-TRACK CROSSINGS WHERE AUTOMATIC GATES WERE ADDED TO FLASHING-LIGHT SIGNALS RESULTS ARE PRESENTED. ONLY ONE OF THE 77 ACCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED AT THE 40 MULTIPLE-TRACK CROSSINGS BEFORE GATES WERE INSTALLED WAS A TWO-TRAIN ACCIDENT. THE DATA INDICATE THAT AUTOMATIC GATES PROVIDE AN IMPROVEMENT IN SAFETY WHEN ADDED TO FLASHING-LIGHT SIGNALS. ACCIDENTS INVOLVING TWO TRAINS CONSTITUTED LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF ALL VEHICLE-TRAIN ACCIDENTS. THE AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY FOUNDATION PUBLISHED AND DISTRIBUTED A BRIEF SUMMARY OF FACTUAL RESEARCH FINDINGS RELATIVE TO MERITS OF GRADE CROSSING PROTECTION DEVICES. GUIDELINES ARE PRESENTED FOR A RAIL-HIGHWAY GRADE CROSSING SAFETY PROGRAM AND SELECTED HAZARD INDEX FORMULAS USED TO COMPUTE THE PROBABILITY OF CONFLICT AT A CROSSING. DECISION POINTS FOR THE DRIVERS OF MOTOR VEHICLES APPROACHING A CROSSING ARE GRAPHICALLY ILLUSTRATED, AND DATA ARE GIVEN FOR DETERMINATION OF SUCH CRITICAL POINTS AT ANY RAIL-HIGHWAY CROSSING. THE LITERATURE REVIEWED ON RAIL-HIGHWAY GRADE CROSSING PROTECTION INDICATES INCREASING EMPHASIS ON THE USE OF ECONOMIC ANALYSES IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS FOR DETERMINING WHICH PROTECTIVE DEVICE SHOULD BE INSTALLED AT SPECIFIC CROSSINGS.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • No 623, pp 150-152
  • Authors:
    • Mauer, R W
  • Publication Date: 1969-11

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00220678
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Feb 24 1970 12:00AM