Examination of Factors Affecting Frequency and Severity of Crashes at Rail-Grade Crossings

Collisions at highway-rail grade crossings, although relatively rare events, are a critical safety concern as these types of crashes tend to be among the most severe in terms of resultant injuries and fatalities. This study assessed the effects of railway, highway, traffic, and driver characteristics on the frequency and severity of highway-railroad grade collisions. Crash frequency was examined by estimating a negative binomial model, which showed various factors to affect the frequency of crashes experienced on a site-specific basis, including: train speed limits; the number of traffic lanes; annual average daily traffic; daily train traffic; the presence of signal preemption; crossing angles; warning gates; and adjacent land use. Injury severity was examined through the development of an ordinal logit model, which showed that the degree of injury sustained as a result of train-involved crashes was influenced by: train speeds, driver age and gender, and motorist behavior at the highway-rail grade crossing.