197803 – Cox – Melbourne – City of Level Crossings: Human Factors & Road/Rail Protection

Human Factors is the study of man in relation to his environment and operating machines. Such a study is an essential pre-requisite to reduce the collision risks facing motorists and train drivers at road-rail crossings.

The study of human factors has applied since man first used primitive tools. The need to form a scientific discipline devoted to such a study became very evident in the early 1940’s during the second world war when 90 per cent of all fatal air- craft accidents were claimed to be due to pilot incapacity with only 2 per cent fatalities attributed to enemy action (remaining 8 per cent equipment failure).

Human Factor study and its practical application is not new in railway operations and modern signalling is to a great degree devoted to engineering out any adverse effect of the human element. Railway Signalling was originally installed to prevent accidents and the evolution to automatic signalling provided greater safety with both reduced train headway and staffing requirements.

Large annual increases in road traffic travel has increased the accident rates at many individual road-rail crossings. This has highlighted the need for correspondingly increased protection levels and capital expenditure to reduce annual casualty figures attributed to road vehicle-train collisions.