Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland, Australia; University of the Sunshine Coast, Road Safety Research Collaboration, Australia.
Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland, Australia; University of Southern Queensland, School of Psychology and Wellbeing, Australia.
Appl Ergon. 2023 May;109:103984. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2023.103984. Epub 2023 Feb 8.
Level crossing safety is a well-researched safety issue worldwide, but little attention has been placed on the safety benefits of using train horns when a train approaches a level crossing. Given train horns' adverse effects on the health and well-being of residents living near rail tracks, the use of train horns must be beneficial to safety. The current study sought to determine in a laboratory environment whether road users (N = 31) can detect the range of train horns observed in Australia in terms of loudness and duration, using high-definition audio recordings from railway crossings. A repeated measures design was used to evaluate the effects of key factors likely to influence the detectability of train horns, including, visual and auditory distractive tasks, hearing loss and environmental noise (crossing bells). Train horn detectability was assessed based on participants' accuracy and reaction times. Results indicated the duration of the train horn had the most influential effect on the detectability of train horns, with short-duration train horns less likely to be detected. The presence of bells at a crossing was the second most important factor that limited train horn detection. Train horn loudness also affected detectability: faint blasts were less likely to be noticed, while loudest blasts were more likely to be noticed. However, loud horns reduced the ability to detect the side from which the train was approaching and may result in longer times to detect the train, in the field. The auditory distractive task reduced the train horn detection accuracy and increased reaction time. However, the visual distractive task and medium to severe hearing loss were not found to affect train horn detection. This laboratory study is the first to provide a broad understanding of the factors that affect the detectability of Australian train horns by road users. The findings from this study provide important insights into ways to reduce the use and modify the practice to mitigate the negative effects of train horns while maintaining the safety of road users.
平交道安全是全球研究得很好的安全问题，但对于火车接近平交道时使用火车喇叭的安全效益却关注甚少。鉴于火车喇叭对居住在铁轨附近的居民的健康和福祉有不利影响，那么使用火车喇叭必须对安全有益。本研究旨在实验室环境中，使用来自铁路道口的高清音频记录，确定道路使用者（N=31）是否能够检测到在澳大利亚观察到的火车喇叭的响度和持续时间范围。采用重复测量设计来评估可能影响火车喇叭可检测性的关键因素的影响，包括视觉和听觉干扰任务、听力损失和环境噪声（道口铃）。根据参与者的准确性和反应时间来评估火车喇叭的可检测性。结果表明，火车喇叭的持续时间对火车喇叭的可检测性有最具影响力的影响，持续时间较短的火车喇叭不太可能被检测到。道口铃的存在是限制火车喇叭检测的第二重要因素。火车喇叭的响度也影响可检测性：微弱的爆炸声不太可能被注意到，而最响亮的爆炸声更有可能被注意到。然而，响亮的喇叭会降低检测火车接近方向的能力，并且在现场可能会导致更长的时间来检测火车。听觉干扰任务降低了火车喇叭检测的准确性并增加了反应时间。但是，视觉干扰任务和中等到严重的听力损失并未发现会影响火车喇叭的检测。这项实验室研究首次提供了广泛的了解，了解了影响道路使用者对澳大利亚火车喇叭可检测性的因素。本研究的结果为减少火车喇叭的使用和修改实践提供了重要的见解，以减轻火车喇叭的负面影响，同时维护道路使用者的安全。
