United States Department of Transportation
i
Prior Driver Performance and Expressed Attitudes Toward Risk as Factors Associated With Railroad Grade Crossing Violations
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1999-06-01
[PDF-396.12 KB]
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Abstract:Railroad ?gate runners? identified by photo surveillance instrumentation were contrasted with a sample of general ?users? of the same grade crossing. The two samples were contrasted in terms of the prior driving histories of the drivers involved. In addition, drivers in the sample of general users were administered a paper and pencil questionnaire developed by HSRC addressing drivers? perceptions of the risks associated with grade crossing actions and similar actions at signalized intersections. Risk perception attributes of violators were inferred from relationships identified in the general user sample between driver history data and responses to the risk perception questionnaire. From the driver history data, it was determined that ?violators? were over-represented in the age ranges of 16-30 and 31 to 60. With respect to the gender of violators, the male/female ratio in the violator group did not differ from that of the general user population. Possible trends between the probability of grade crossing violations, prior traffic convictions, and prior crashes were identified but could not be substantiated at the level of statistical significance adopted for the present study. In terms of the general user sample?s responses to questionnaire items dealing with knowledge of train and grade crossing operations, risk perception, and the factors used in judging the risk at grade crossings and other similar traffic situations (e.g, surface intersections), broad individual differences were noted. The most extreme responses were often correlated with prior driving histories characteristic of those associated with drivers in the ?violator? group. In general, the present data suggest that a driver?s prior history of violations and crash involvement combined with his or her generalized orientation to the assessment and acceptance of risk may be related to and increased likelihood of ?gate running.? Were future research to confirm the reliability of these findings, it is not clear what would constitute effective countermeasures for dealing with the behavior(s) in question, short of more effective measures (e.g, quad gates, median barriers, etc.) for physically prohibiting the behavior from occurring combined with methods (e.g, photo-based enforcement) to circumvent problems with traditional manpower-intensive enforcement methods. 12 Figures, 4 tables
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