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.
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Supplemental Notes:
- No 623, pp 150-152
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Authors:
- Mauer, R W
- Publication Date: 1969-11
Media Info
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: At grade intersections; Automation; Before and after studies; Crash rates; Decision making; Economic analysis; Flashing; Gates; Grade crossing protection systems; Highway safety; Protection; Railroad grade crossings; Railroad trains; Reviews; Traffic crashes
- Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Vehicles and Equipment;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00220678
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Feb 24 1970 12:00AM