Challenging conventional rural rail level crossing design: Evaluating three new systems thinking-based designs in a driving simulator

Vanessa Beanland; Eryn L Grant; Gemma J M Read; Nicholas J Stevens; Miles Thomas; Michael G Lenné; Neville A Stanton; Paul M Salmon

doi:10.1016/j.ssci.2018.03.002

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Challenging conventional rural rail level crossing design: Evaluating three new systems thinking-based designs in a driving simulator

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Challenging conventional rural rail level crossing design: Evaluating three new systems thinking-based designs in a driving simulator

Vanessa Beanland, Eryn L Grant, Gemma J M Read, Nicholas J Stevens, Miles Thomas, Michael G Lenné, Neville A Stanton and Paul M Salmon

Safety Science, Vol.110(Part B), pp.100-114

2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2018.03.002

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Abstract

rail level crossings

road users

driving simulation

situation awareness

The road-rail interface is hazardous for both road vehicles and trains, with collisions often resulting in serious injury and deaths of drivers and passengers. This is a major problem worldwide, and there is currently no appropriately effective low-cost solution for rural areas. Grade separation is prohibitively costly for most rail level crossings. This research evaluated three proposed new, relatively low-cost design solutions: GPS Average Speed interface, Simple but Strong crossing and Ecological Interface Design crossing. These new designs were compared with the conventional passive and active rural rail level crossings in a driving simulator. The findings suggest that there is a preference for the standard rail level crossings, probably because this is what drivers are used to. Of the new designs, the Ecological Interface Design rail level crossing seemed to perform the best in the simulator study, and could be implemented at a lower cost than conventional active rail level crossings. However, all three designs had apparent strengths and weaknesses. These findings highlight possible design solutions that should be further tested in real-world field trials.

Details

Title: Challenging conventional rural rail level crossing design: Evaluating three new systems thinking-based designs in a driving simulator
Authors: Vanessa Beanland (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts, Business and Law
Eryn L Grant (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts, Business and Law
Gemma J M Read (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts, Business and Law
Nicholas J Stevens (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts, Business and Law
Miles Thomas (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts, Business and Law
Michael G Lenné (Author) - Monash University
Neville A Stanton (Author) - University of Southampton, United Kingdom
Paul M Salmon (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Arts, Business and Law
Publication details: Safety Science, Vol.110(Part B), pp.100-114
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date published: 2018
DOI: 10.1016/j.ssci.2018.03.002
ISSN: 0925-7535; 0925-7535
Grants: A new complex systems approach to road trauma: Applying systems thinking to the fatal five, FT140100681, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Application of contemporary systems-based methods to reduce trauma at rail level crossings, LP100200387, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Driving as a model for investigating and improving visual search abilities, DE150100083, Australian Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - ARC
Organisation Unit: Bioclimatic and Sociotechnical Cities Lab; Centre for Human Factors and Systems Science; School of Social Sciences - Legacy; School of Health - Psychology; School of Law and Society
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99451406702621
Output Type: Journal article

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