Abstract
The complex environment at grade crossings and the severe collision consequences give rise to the concern of safety condition at crossings among traffic control authorities. Optimizing conventional devices and applying emerging technologies are worthwhile measures to improve the safety conditions at grade crossings. In this study, a flashing-light running (FLR) warning system was proposed to reduce crossing violation and improve performances of drivers at flashing-light-controlled grade crossings (FLCGCs). Forty-four fully licensed drivers aged between 30 and 48 years participated in a driving simulator study to investigate the efficacy of two countermeasures of the system: proposed design of signs and pavement markings (PSM) for grade crossing, and two-stage in-vehicle audio warning (IVAW) technology. A range of flashing light trigger timing and two foggy conditions were designed in this experiment to test the system applicability. Drivers’ gender and vocation were considered as well to examine drivers’ adaptation to the new proposed system. Five variables were collected and analyzed in this study to investigate the effectiveness of the system, i.e., drivers’ compliance, approaching mean speed, brake reaction time, deceleration, and red-to-crossing time. Results showed that drivers’ driving performances were improved in both PSM only condition and PSM + W condition. The FLR warning system could eliminate the negative effects of foggy weather and reduce gender differences in driver behaviors to some extent. These findings suggested that the FLR warning system has a potential to reduce the probability of grade crossing collisions.
Highlights
Grade crossings where the roadway and railroad tracks intersect have created serious con icts between trains and vehicles
This paper improves current knowledge in four aspects: (1) this paper proposes a flashing-light running (FLR) warning system that includes improved signs and markings (PSM) design and a two-stage invehicle audio warning (IVAW); (2) instead of designing some flashing light trigger timing (FLTT), this study focuses on drivers’ stop/go decisions under a set of continuously scattering points within the predefined range of FLTT; (3) a range of FLTT is designed in combination with a binary choice of heavy fog conditions to test the applicability of FLR warning system in adverse visibility condition; and (4) driver characteristics, e.g., gender and vocation, are considered in this study to examine different drivers’ adaptation to the new proposed PSM and IVAW
Influencing Mechanism of PSM and IVAW on Driving Behavior. e study conducted a simulator-based experiment to examine the effects of PSM and IVAW on drivers’ driving performances during the process of approaching grade crossings controlled by flashing light
Summary
Grade crossings where the roadway and railroad tracks intersect have created serious con icts between trains and vehicles. In 2004, 729 accidents involving grade crossings occurred in China, with a total of 513 casualties and 2292 hours of interruption on the main line operation, resulting in direct economic losses of up to ¥12 million (around 1.68 million USD) [1]. In Europe, grade crossing crashes led to 604 fatalities and casualties in 2011, which accounted for more than one quarter of all railway crashes [2]. Erefore, grade crossing safety has been one of the top worldwide issues that attracts the attention of relevant transport authorities and the public [4, 5]. Among all the causes of grade crossing collisions, driver behavior on approaching to grade crossings is one of the main contributors [6], indicating the need for countermeasures targeting at drivers to improve the safety condition at grade crossings
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