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Published VersionCC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Are train horns improving road safety? Road users' perspective
Ergonomics, Vol.68(3), pp.459-470
2025
PMID: 38567973
Appears in UniSC Supported Open Access Outputs
Abstract
Train horns are used as a control at railway level crossing for safety. Despite their wide use, limited information exists on their actual safety benefits. This study used focus groups with road users to understand their perceptions of the usefulness of train horns. This study showed that the message heard by road users is very simple and contrasts with the amount of information train drivers want to convey. The perceived benefits of the train horn were: (i) an additional layer of protection at active crossings; (ii) an important safety feature at rural/passive crossings; (iii) an increased safety benefit for vulnerable road users; and (iv) a greater safety benefit at night. The disadvantages of the use of train horns were perceived as outweighed by the safety benefits. This study highlights that reducing train horns, if safe to do so, could face resistance from road users and the rail industry.
Details
- Title
- Are train horns improving road safety? Road users' perspective
- Authors
- Grégoire S Larue (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Road Safety Research CollaborationDanielle Villoresi - Queensland University of TechnologySonali Nandavar - Queensland University of TechnologyAndrew Kidcaff - Queensland University of TechnologyChristopher N Watling - Queensland University of Technology
- Publication details
- Ergonomics, Vol.68(3), pp.459-470
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1080/00140139.2024.2333965
- ISSN
- 1366-5847; 0014-0139
- PMID
- 38567973
- Copyright note
- © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
- Organisation Unit
- Road Safety Research Collaboration; School of Law and Society
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991014389202621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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InCites Highlights
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Engineering, Industrial
- Ergonomics
- Psychology
- Psychology, Applied
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Source: InCites