Motor vehicle driver injury severity study under various traffic control at highway-rail grade crossings in the United States

Introduction Based on the Federal Railway Administration (FRA) database, approximately 62% of the collisions at highway-rail crossings occurred at locations with active controls (gate and flashing lights), followed by passive controls (cross bucks and stop signs) with approximately 28% of accidents. Method The study applied an ordered probit model to explore the determinants of driver injury severity under various control measures at highway-rail grade crossing in the United States. Results The analysis found that schedule factor (peak hour), visibility, motor vehicle speed, train speed, driver's age, area type, traffic volume and highway pavement impact driver injury severity at both active and passive highway-rail crossings. Practical Applications For both active and passive control highway-rail grade crossings, speed control for both trains and vehicles will significantly reduce driver injury severity. However, the level of influence by vehicle speed and train speed at passive control is higher compared with active control. Paving highways at highway-rail grade crossings will also help to reduce driver injury severity at highway-rail crossing accidents.