EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ROAD-RAIL CROSSING ACCIDENTS IN VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA

A study was conducted of 85 fatal accidents at road-rail crossings in Victoria during the period 1973-1977. These accidents occurred either at crossings protected by flashing light installations or at "open" crossings protected only by a static array of signs. Accident distribution was found to be atypical compared to the general road trauma picture. Most drivers were local and were familiar with the characteristics of the crossing. In the metropolitan area, 14 of the 20 accidents at crossings protected by flashing lights occurred in the locations with an H configuration of adjacent road intersections and four more occurred in locations with an adjacent T intersection. It appeared that, in most cases, the accident occurred to a law-abiding citizen going about his or her daily work and was attributable to human overload unrelated to any breach of regulations. As a consequence of these findings, several recommendations for changes in crossing protection are made.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1800052
• Corporate Authors:

  National Safety Council

  444 North Michigan Avenue
  Chicago, IL  United States  60611
• Authors:
  • WIGGLESWORTH, E C
• Publication Date: 1979

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 162-171
• Serial:
  • Journal of Safety Research
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0022-4375
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00224375

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Crash causes; Crash investigation; Crashes; Data analysis; Epidemiology; Fatalities; Grade crossing protection systems; Human factors; Intersections; Mathematical analysis; Railroad facilities; Railroad grade crossings; Railroads; Roads; Traffic crashes
• Geographic Terms: Australia
• Old TRIS Terms: Grade crossing accidents; Grade crossing protection
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control; I81: Accident Statistics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00316550
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 16 1980 12:00AM