FACTORS INFLUENCING SAFETY AT HIGHWAY - RAILWAY GRADE CROSSINGS - A SUMMARY OF RECENT RESEARCH
A SURVEY OF HIGHWAY-RAILWAY GRADE CROSSINGS SHOWS THAT TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AT RAILROAD CROSSINGS NUMBER ABOUT 10,000 EACH YEAR AND RESULT IN APPROXIMATELY 1300 DEATHS AND 11,300 INJURIES. IN ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE ACCIDENTS INVOLVING TRAINS, THE TRAIN HITS THE VEHICLE. IN THE OTHER THIRD, THE TRAIN IS HIT BY THE VEHICLE. THE RATE OF VEHICLE-TRAIN ACCIDENTS IS ABOUT TWICE AS HIGH IN THE WINTER MONTHS AS IT IS IN THE SUMMER. TRAIN-VEHICLE ACCIDENTS ALSO WERE FOUND TO OCCUR AT A HIGHER RATE DURING NIGHT-TIME HOURS THAN DURING DAY-TIME HOURS. A STUDY OF FIELD CONDITIONS AT RAILROAD CROSSINGS FOUND THAT A DRIVER TRAVELING AT THE NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED OFTEN CANNOT SEE AN APPROACHING TRAIN IN TIME TO COME TO A SAFE STOP. THE VOORHEES STUDY FOUND THAT FOR TRAIN-VEHICLE ACCIDENTS FLASHING SIGNALS REDUCED ACCIDENTS AT A CROSSING TO 20 PERCENT OF WHAT THEY WERE WITH ONLY THE PRESENT CROSS BAR AND ADVANCE WARNING TECHNIQUES. INTENSIVE STUDY OF SIGNING PRACTICES AT RAILWAY-HIGHWAY GRADE CROSSINGS INDICATED THAT SIGNS SHOULD PROVIDE AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF INFORMATION: (1) INFORM THE DRIVER PRIOR TO THE CROSSING EXACTLY WHAT HIS OBLIGATION WILL BE, (2) EMPHASIZE AT THE CROSSING WHEN AUTOMATIC DEVICES ARE NOT PRESENT THAT HIS RESPONSIBILITY IS TO DETERMINE THE EXISTENCE OF TRAINS IN SUCH PROXIMITY OF THE CROSSING AS TO CONSTITUTE A HAZARD, AND (3) PROVIDE HIM WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NECESSARY FOR HIS SAFE NEGOTIATION OF THE CROSSING. FIELD TESTS OF NEW SIGNS INDICATED THAT THE FOLLOWING SIGNS DESERVED FURTHER TESTING: (1) A NEW ADVANCE WARNING SIGN IN THE STANDARD BLACK-ON-YELLOW DIAMOND SHAPE WITH A SYMBOL MESSAGE OF A RAILROAD CROSSING A HIGHWAY, (2) A NEW SUPPLEMENTAL ADVANCE WARNING SIGN IN THE STANDARD BLACK-ON-YELLOW DIAMOND SHAPE WITH THE MESSAGE 'LOOK FOR TRAINS' PRIOR TO THE POINT THE DRIVER MUST SEE AN APPROACHING TRAIN IN ORDER TO STOP, (3) A NEW AT-THE-CROSSING SIGN OF THE RAILROAD CROSSBUCK SIGN ON A LARGE YIELD SIGN SHAPE, AND (4) A NEW ADVANCE WARNING SIGN FOR CROSSINGS PROTECTED WITH ACTIVE PROTECTION DEVICES WHICH WOULD BE SHOWN IN SYMBOLS ON THE STANDARD YELLOW DIAMOND SHAPE. THESE RECOMMENDED SIGNS ARE PICTURES.
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Supplemental Notes:
- Vol 69, No 614, PP 790-796, 1 FIG
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Authors:
- Michael, H L
- Publication Date: 1968-6
Media Info
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: At grade intersections; Cold weather; Data collection; Fatalities; Flashing traffic signals; Injuries; Night; Operations; Railroad grade crossings; Surveys; Traffic crashes; Traffic signs; Visibility; Warning signs
- Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00225422
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Mar 19 1971 12:00AM