Drivers as Decision Makers at Rail-Highway Grade Crossings

A recent review of driver behavior at rail-highway crossings (Lerner, Ratte', and Walker, 1989) revealed a number of decision making problems faced by motorists as they negotiate the area of an at-grade crossing. It was also noted that many in the safety community hold an unsympathetic and counterproductive “blame the victim” attitude and an apparent double standard in interpreting driver actions. Without denying the responsibility of the driver in vehicle-train collisions, this paper argues that there are important human factors issues that contribute to driver error in decision making. Fourteen such factors are identified and discussed and implications for rail-highway safety are considered.