EFFECTIVENESS OF CONSTANT-WARNING-TIME VERSUS FIXED-DISTANCE WARNING SYSTEMS AT RAIL-HIGHWAY GRADE CROSSINGS (DISCUSSION AND CLOSURE)

The study objective was to determine the influence of road classification, angle of crossing, and train speed on the effectiveness of fixed-distance and constant-warning-time systems at public rail-highway grade crossings. Data were acquired from the U.S. Department of Transportation-Association of American Railroads Crossing Inventory File and the FRA Accident/Incident Reporting System for the period January 1, 1975, through December 31, 1982. Fixed-distance and constant-warning-time systems revealed similar effectiveness values (82 and 85 percent, respectively) when changed from passive devices. For changes from fixed-distance to constant-warning-time systems, the effectiveness value was 26 percent. This result tended to confirm the hypothesis that constant-warningtime systems have greater credibility with motorists than do fixed-distance systems. Functional class of road had no apparent influence on the effectiveness of warning systems for upgrades to fixed-distance systems and constantwarning-time systems. The effectiveness of upgrades in the fixed-distance-toconstant-warning-time class was greatest for the angle-of-crossing category of 0 to 29 degrees (68 percent). For passive-to-fixed-distance and passive-toconstant-warning-time upgrades, effectiveness values in the 60-to-90-degreeangle category were essentially equal to those in the oblique-angle categories (82 percent). For constant-warning-time systems, effectiveness increased with increase in variation of train speed. Train speed, as measured by the concepts of speed ratio and speed difference, had no apparent influence on warning system effectiveness for either system.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1985/1010/1010-016.pdf
• Summary URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=EFFECTIVENESS+OF+CONSTANT-WARNING-TIME+VERSUS+FIXED-DISTANCE+WARNING+SYSTEMS+AT+RAIL-HIGHWAY+GRADE+CROSSINGS+(DISCUSSION+AND+CLOSURE)&author=J.+Halkias&author=R.+Eck&publication_year=1985
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Railroad-Highway Grade Crossings.
• Authors:
  • Halkias, John A
  • Eck, Ronald W
• Discussers:
  • Bowman, Brian L
  • Berg, William D
  • Hitz, John S
• Publication Date: 1985

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 101-116
• Monograph Title: Traffic control devices and rail highway crossings
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1010
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Angularity; Classification; Crash reports; Data analysis; Highways; Mathematical analysis; Measures of effectiveness; Railroad grade crossings; Railroad trains; Speed; Warning systems
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness; Highway classification
• Old TRIS Terms: Angles (Geometry)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00452661
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309038227
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Aug 27 2004 9:59PM