Improved Traffic Control Measures to Prevent Incorrect Turns at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings

A number of injuries and fatal collisions have occurred at certain highway-rail grade crossings that are located immediately adjacent to highway intersections, driveways or interstate ramps. Some guide signage, pavement markings, and other traffic control devices present near or at the crossings in the past may have confused drivers and caused them to turn onto the railroad tracks, rather than at the nearby intersections, driveways or ramps. This research found the major contributing causes of incorrect turns onto railroad tracks includes (1) confusing signs and pavement markings near highway-rail crossings, (2) darkness and low visibility near or at highway-rail crossings, (3) following turn instructions from a global positioning system (GPS) device onto railroad tracks, (4) skewed highway-rail grade crossings, and (5) driver distraction. Based on the findings from intensive literature review, historical crash data analysis, and field observations, a set of practical countermeasures was developed to prevent incorrect turns onto railroad tracks. The major recommended treatments for upstream of a highway-rail grade crossing include advance direction signage and striping. The recommended downstream treatments also consist of guide signs and striping. For the critical zone, treatments such as striping or dynamic envelope pavement markings, pavement gate markings, bollards, and illumination are recommended. Adequate illumination is essential for reducing the number of rail-vehicle crashes and stuck vehicle incidents due to incorrect turns at night. Finally, this research developed a simple and effective method to help quantify potential drivers that experience confusion or hesitation when they approach a highway-rail grade crossing. It provided a cost-effective method to evaluate the effectiveness of any implemented treatments to prevent incorrect turns onto railroad tracks.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.5038/CUTR-NCTR-RR-2013-06
• 
• Summary URL:
  • https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/research/reports/fdot-bdk85-977-47-sum.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/research/reports/fdot-bdk85-977-45-rpt.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  National Center for Transit Research

  Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida
  4202 East Fowler Avenue, CUT 100
  Tampa, FL  United States  33620

  Florida Department of Transportation

  Research Center
  605 Suwannee Street MS-30
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32399-0450

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Lin, Pei-Sung
  • Fabregas, Aldo
  • Kourtellis, Achilleas
  • Lall, Sherrell
  • Bato, Michael
• Publication Date: 2013-11

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; Maps; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 88p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile drivers; Countermeasures; Distraction; Global Positioning System; Grade crossing protection systems; Lighting; Railroad grade crossings; Road markings; Signs; Traffic control devices
• Subject Areas: Highways; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01502785
• Record Type: Publication
• Contract Numbers: BDK85 977-45
• Files: UTC, TRIS, RITA, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Dec 31 2013 2:42PM