INVESTIGATIONS OF RAILROAD-HIGHWAY GRADE CROSSING ACCIDENT DATA

This research resulted in improved techniques for predicting railroad-highway grade crossing accidents and their severity. Although many variables could not be investigated in the study, the capability for their subsequent consideration has been established. A framework for using accident prediction equations has been outlined and may be expanded as additional factors relating to safety improvements are investigated. There are still many unanswered questions regarding the occurrence of accidents and their severity at grade crossings. In this study, the ratio of the number of accidents for a group of crossings to the number of crossing years of exposure has evolved as a measure of the accident potential for a group of crossings. Future studies based on the Nationwide DOT-AAR grade crossing inventory and the revised FRA accident information will be helpful in establishing many other useful relationships between crossing characteristics and accident potential.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was announced in Vol. 78, No. 660 (Nov.-Dec. 1976) of the AREA Bulletin, pp 241-242.
• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Highway Administration

  Office of Research, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • COLEMAN, J
  • STEWART, G R
• Publication Date: 1976-4

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Crash investigation; Crash risk forecasting; Grade crossing protection systems; Railroad grade crossings; Risk assessment; Safety; Traffic crashes
• Old TRIS Terms: Grade crossing accidents; Grade crossing protection
• Subject Areas: Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00152457
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: AREA Bulletin
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 27 1977 12:00AM