Factors influencing road-rail crossing safety

Abstract

The most common type of railroad crossings is the grade one. The intersection of railroad and highway still presents a serious threat, especially on bustling rail corridors. The general assumption is that the majority of accidents happens at crossings with passive warning devices. Nevertheless, a high number of not only fatal collisions incorporates railroad crossings with active warning devices. To reduce many accidents, researchers determined ten factors having high projected impact on the reduction of accidents. This paper evaluates these factors by using two metrics: impact and reduction percentage. Railroad Accident Incident Reporting System provided statistic data from two periods (1994–2003, 2003–2007). The most decisive factors are Commercial Driver Safety and Crossing Consolidation. Consolidating the number of grade crossings is a major task for upcoming years.