Stop Sign Effectiveness at Railroad Grade Crossings (Abuse without Excuse)

Abstract

The author has completed recent studies regarding how effective “Stop” signs at railroad grade crossings are in a study of motorist adherence to the “Stop” sign at seven selected rail-highway at grade crossing. The seven sites were picked because of past accident history and much of the data was already available. In order to perform this study a video camera was set up where it could not be seen by motorists using the crossing. The camera recorded the motorist’s observance of the “Stop” sign. A total of 862 vehicles were photographed at these crossings and the results of the study document only 18 percent of the motorists were alerted to the Stop signs and 82 percent were either confused or semi-confused. Alerted is a category referring to those motorists who actually stopped in the vicinity of the Stop sign to look and listen. Confused and semi-confused motorists include 50 percent who performed what is referred to as a rolling stop or stopped on the tracks. These motorists basically slowed down but did not cease movement as required by the law, or actually did not Stop until the vehicles were directly in the hazard zone on the tracks. The remaining 32 percent never stopped at all.