FHWA ADDRESSES CRASHES AT RAIL CROSSINGS BUT MISSES THE POTENTIAL OF CAMERAS TO REDUCE GATE SIGNAL VIOLATIONS

A new document produced by the Federal Highway Administration suggesting ways to better maintain the separation between cars and trucks and trains at railroad crossings contains numerous suggestions about engineering and markings, but does not include the possible use of automated cameras to enforce rules against unauthorized crossings at automated gates. This type of crossing, commonly at the busiest intersections, accounts for about 30 percent of all crashes at railroad crossings. About half of all the crashes were blamed on the driver trying to go around the gate or failing to stop. A pilot study of camera enforcement at two crossings in Los Angeles showed that cameras cut violations 92% and 78% within a few months.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.highwaysafety.org/sr/pdfs/sr3803.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0018988X
• Corporate Authors:

  Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

  1005 North Glebe Road
  Arlington, VA  United States  22201
• Publication Date: 2003-3-15

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 7
• Serial:
  • Status Report
  • Volume: 38
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
  • ISSN: 0018-988X
  • Serial URL: https://www.iihs.org/status-report/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: At grade intersections; Automated enforcement; Crashes; Railroads; Traffic control devices
• Subject Areas: Operations and Traffic Management; Railroads; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00941528
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Files: BTRIS, TRIS
• Created Date: May 1 2003 12:00AM