Dynamic Model of Driver Approaching Behaviors at Highway-Rail Grade Crossings
The objective of this paper is to evaluate individual driver behavior during the approach to a highway-rail grade crossing (HRGC). An HRGC located in Lincoln, Nebraska that is equipped with a standard 2-quadrant gate system is used as a test site. A total of 106 speed profiles of drivers who have to make a decision to stop or proceed in response to a train event are identified using a radar sensor. Among them, 47 vehicles stop at stop-line while 59 vehicles proceed through the HRGC. Standard engineering theory postulates that after a perception-reaction time drivers make a choice to proceed or stop. However, it is observed that the drivers do not appear to treat the stop/proceed decision as a static binary choice because their speed profiles exhibit a wide range of acceleration and deceleration behaviors. It is hypothesized that the decision to stop or proceed through an HRGC is best modeled as a dynamic and stochastic process. It is decided to divide the approach into three zones: awareness zone, assessment zone, and action zone. A stochastic model of drivers’ decision-making as they approach an HRGC is developed. The speed profiles of drivers who violate the traffic laws and those that do not are compared and it is found that the former experienced a longer decision-making time. It is hypothesized that if information is provided earlier to drivers about a potential train event then the decision-making time would be reduced and the violation rate would decline.
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Supplemental Notes:
- This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AHB60 Standing Committee on Highway/Rail Grade Crossings.
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Corporate Authors:
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001 -
Authors:
- Zhao, Li
- Rilett, Laurence R
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Conference:
- Transportation Research Board 96th Annual Meeting
- Location: Washington DC, United States
- Date: 2017-1-8 to 2017-1-12
- Date: 2017
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
- Pagination: 15p
- Monograph Title: TRB 96th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Behavior; Decision making; Drivers; Gates; Railroad grade crossings; Speed
- Geographic Terms: Lincoln (Nebraska)
- Subject Areas: Highways; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01626377
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: 17-05771
- Files: PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI
- Created Date: Feb 23 2017 2:56PM