Human Factors Projects

The objectives of the grade crossing human factors research are to improve knowledge of driver behavior, improve driver warning systems, both visual and audible, improve knowledge of opportunities to reduce speed-related risks at high-speed crossing, and evaluate Intelligent Transportation System concepts for grade crossing safety.

The following projects all relate to human factors issues at grade crossings. Other grade crossing RD&D projects are described in Section 4.7 and Section 5.3 of the 5-Year Plan.

Post-Accident Stress in Locomotive Engineers

Police officers, firemen, and rescue workers who are involved in responding to serious accidents involving loss of life often experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Mandatory counseling is often provided for individuals involved in traumas. Discussions with locomotive engineers indicate that during the course of a career most locomotive engineers experience a traumatic grade crossing accident. At present there is no uniform industry approach to PTSD in locomotive engineers, although anecdotal information suggests that safety may be compromised if counseling is not provided. This project will determine if the experience of a traumatic grade crossing accident is debilitating and examine the efficacy of standard counseling techniques. This project is now in progress and should be completed in FY 2003.

Driver Behavior

The driver behavior project will address a variety of issues concerning the behavior of motorists at grade crossings. The Grade Crossing Research Needs Workshop held in 1995 found that it is unknown why motorists and commercial vehicle operators take risks at grade crossing (e.g., driving around gates, directly in front of trains). Such risk-taking may be correlated with:

• Demographic or sociocultural variables.
• Perceived train speed.
• Perceived distance.
• Credibility of, and warning times for, active devices.
• Sight distance and visibility.
• Driver familiarity with the grade crossing.

Motorists’ and commercial vehicle operators’ perception of risk may be determined by the perceived frequency of trains, and decisions to cross or stop may be critically influenced by perceived costs and benefits associated with each action (including fines for noncompliance). In the absence of clear information concerning the determinants of risky behavior, efforts to change driver behavior may be ineffective. This project will attempt to identify the major variables that cause risky behavior so that a systematic effort to enhance safety can be undertaken.