Slide 1

Slide 2 Insert the title of your presentation here Presented by Name Here Job Title - Date Spotting the signs: situation awareness at level crossings Presented by Stephanie Cynk Slide 3 Level crossings in Britain are very safe Page 2 but incidents still occur Slide 4 Level crossing signs Page 3 Slide 5 T756 Signs and signals at level crossings Commissioned by RSSB in 2009 A root and branch review of signing requirements -Without the influence of previous requirements and constraints, -What would be most effective in reducing road user errors at level crossings? Slide 6 Page 5 Situation awareness Perception Comprehension Projection Take in information through senses (Endsley, 1995; Endsley, 2000) Use information to forecast future events Assign meaning to information Slide 7 Page 6 Situation awareness Perception Comprehension Projection I see a triangular warning sign and light signals ahead An example I must brake because the barrier will come down and a train will pass through the crossing. I expect other traffic to stop too. The light signals are flashing which means stop Slide 8 Blocking back Page 7 When vehicle drivers enter the level crossing at a time when the crossing exit is blocked (eg by queuing traffic) Slide 9 Blocking Back The cause of approximately 7% of the risk associated with vehicles at level crossings Never drive onto a crossing until the road is clear on the other side. Page 8 Slide 10 Another train coming About 10% of the risk associated with pedestrians at level crossings The primary indications -signals provided continue to flash red, -the barriers, if provided, stay down Additional measures -The tone of the audible alarm changes -A sign -A signal Page 9 Slide 11 Another train coming Sound 1 alarm for first train Sound 2 starts immediately as first train passes, to indicate that another train will pass Page 10 Slide 12 Research questions Page 11 Does participants awareness of the potential for more than one train to pass through the crossing vary by type of level crossing? Do current second train warning signs and sounds affect awareness of the potential for second trains? Are participants aware that they should not enter the level crossing before the crossing exit is clear? Is awareness of blocking back dependent on level crossing type if a lorry is parked at the level crossing exit? Slide 13 Page 12 Open Crossing Slide 14 Page 13 Automatic Open Crossing Slide 15 Page 14 Automatic Half Barrier Crossing Slide 16 Page 15 Automatic Half Barrier Crossing (Max) Slide 17 Page 16 Manually Controlled Barrier Slide 18 Page 17 MCG Slide 19 Another train coming Page 18 Slide 20 Page 19 Were any road signs present in the video? If so, which ones? Level 1 & 2 situation awareness Another train coming Only shown in one scenario 30 presentations in total 4 recalled its presence Slide 21 Did the level crossing have a barrier? Generally high awareness One participant viewing the AHB Max said there was no barrier Three who viewed the AOCL said there was a barrier Page 20 Level 1 situation awareness Slide 22 Page 21 Barrier position ScenarioNAssumed barrier would rise AHB2927 MCG3029 MCB3129 AHB Max2922 Level 2&3 situation awareness Generally high awareness that where barrier was present, it was blocking the road Slide 23 Page 22 Did the level crossing have light signals? Level 1 situation awareness Generally high awareness Four participants viewing the MCG said there were signals (and a further two were unsure) Slide 24 Page 23 Signal aspect Level 2&3 situation awareness Generally high awareness One participant thought steady amber instead of red Responses for MCG scenario varied ScenarioNAssumed wig-wags would change MCB3027 AHB Max2926 AHB2926 Slide 25 Page 24 Would you expect another train to pass through the crossing after the first one? ExpectationNumber Yes, a further train could pass17 No, a further train could not pass2 Unsure11 Level 3 situation awareness *with significant prompting Slide 26 Blocking back Page 25 Slide 27 Page 26 Were any road signs present? If so, which ones? Keep Crossing Clear sign Keep Crossing Clear Generally only one or two participants in each scenario recalled it (when it was presented) Almost a quarter recalled the sign in the Open Crossing scenario Slide 28 Page 27 Were there any other road users in the scene? Level 1 situation awareness Generally high awareness of other road users One participant in AHB Max and MCB scenarios said there were no other road users present 15 out of 21 drivers in the MCG scenario said there were no other road users Slide 29 Page 28 Progress through the scene ScenarioN Number who saw other road users Number who saw the lorry Number who would proceed AHB18 173 AHB Max1918 3 AOCL18 173 MCB2221 3 MCG21151011 OC22 6 Level 2&3 situation awareness Slide 30 Discussion Participants recall of signs was low -The Open Crossing was the notably different scenario Expectation may play an important role in recollection -Recalling light signals where there werenone -Recalling barriers where there were none Awareness for the potential of more than one train passing through the crossing was generally low -Existing measures make a difference (but a very small difference) Slide 31 Discussion In most scenarios, participants were aware of other road users -MCG scenario produced different results Participants mostly said that they would not proceed onto the crossing -But almost a quarter of participants said they would Page 30 Slide 32 Conclusions Another train coming measures do have an effect -But only a small effect There is some awareness of the need to Keep crossing clear -But there is room for improvement Slide 33 Page 32 Do You Have Any Questions? Slide 34 Page 33 Thank you Presented by Dan Basacik Senior Human Factors Researcher Email: dbasacik@trl.co.uk