| NuRail Project ID | NURail2012-MTU-R03 |
| Project Title | Influence of Driver Attention on Rail Crossing Safety |
| University | MTU |
| Principal Investigator | Hill |
| PI Contact Information | Phone: (906) 487-3176 Email: johnhill@mtu.edu |
| Funding Source(s) and Amounts Provided (by each agency or organization) | $39,000 Michigan Tech Departmental and Research Funds; $39,000 USDOT RITA |
| Total Project Cost | $78,000 |
| Agency ID or Contract Number | DTRT12-G-UTC18 |
| Start Date | 5/1/2012 |
| End Date | 1/31/2014 |
| Brief Description of Research Project | The main objective of this research is an understanding of how visual field and visual attention on the part of the driver influence safety at rail crossings. Using a driving simulator equipped with a suite of rail crossing simulations and eye tracking hardware, visual scanning patterns will be assessed for a variety of crossing types, warning system types, and for drivers engaged in distracting tasks at crossings. This will be completed in three studies. The first study will evaluate visual field use for a variety of crossing types ranging from rural crossings with rail crossing bucks to crossings with gates and lights. The second study will assess the effect of driver distraction on crossing safety. Distractions will be driver based (i.e. cell phone use), vehicle based (i.e. secondary vehicle systems) and environment based (i.e. pedestrians near crossings). The third study will relate to crossing geometries. This will include evaluation of oblique crossings, evaluation of high speed passenger train interactions and replications of crossings with a documented history of vehicle-train collisions. |
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| Web Links | Click HERE |
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