Investigating the Role of Driver Decision Styles in Highway-Rail Crossing Accidents

In this research, the authors examine the ways in which driver decision-making styles affect highway-rail crossing accidents. The study focused on intersections in the Los Angeles metro area with crossings that demanded certain driver maneuvers with potential accident consequences. Field and laboratory experimental sessions were designed to study three sets of variables: driver decision styles, conditions in the intersection environment that could influence these decisions (environmental complexity) and the driver maneuvers to cross the intersection. The variable of distraction inside the crossing intersection was also studied using recall versus recognition tests. Parametric tests revealed significant differences in the drivers’ scores for the decision style variable, while other variables showed no significant results. The same results were shown using a chi-square nonparametric test. hTese results showed that driver decision style is an important factor in the way drivers perceive and behave in highway-rail crossings.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/56417157
• Corporate Authors:

  METRANS Transportation Consortium

  University of Southern California
  Los Angeles, CA  United States 

  California Department of Transportation

  New Technology and Research, P.O. Box 942873
  Sacramento, CA  United States  94273

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Meshkati, Najmedin
  • Rahimi, Mansour
  • Driver, Michael J
• Publication Date: 2003-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Appendices; CD-ROM; Tables;
• Pagination: 41p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile drivers; Behavior; Decision making; Human factors; Human factors in crashes; Railroad grade crossings; Safety; Traffic crashes
• Subject Areas: Operations and Traffic Management; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01031842
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/CA/PR-2004/234, METRANS Project 00-11
• Contract Numbers: 65A0047
• Files: CALTRANS, UTC, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Sep 5 2006 7:48AM