Larue Grégoire S, Villoresi Danielle, Nandavar Sonali, Kidcaff Andrew, Watling Christopher N
MAIC/UniSC Road Safety Research Collaboration, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Australia.
Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, Australia.
Ergonomics. 2025 Mar;68(3):459-470. doi: 10.1080/00140139.2024.2333965. Epub 2024 Apr 3.
Train horns are used as a control at railway level crossing for safety. Despite their wide use, limited information exists on their actual safety benefits. This study used focus groups with road users to understand their perceptions of the usefulness of train horns. This study showed that the message heard by road users is very simple and contrasts with the amount of information train drivers want to convey. The perceived benefits of the train horn were: (i) an additional layer of protection at active crossings; (ii) an important safety feature at rural/passive crossings; (iii) an increased safety benefit for vulnerable road users; and (iv) a greater safety benefit at night. The disadvantages of the use of train horns were perceived as outweighed by the safety benefits. This study highlights that reducing train horns, if safe to do so, could face resistance from road users and the rail industry.
火车喇叭被用作铁路平交道口的一种安全控制手段。尽管其使用广泛，但关于其实际安全效益的信息却很有限。本研究通过与道路使用者进行焦点小组讨论，以了解他们对火车喇叭有用性的看法。该研究表明，道路使用者听到的信息非常简单，这与火车司机想要传达的信息量形成了对比。火车喇叭的感知效益包括：（i）在活跃道口提供额外一层保护；（ii）在农村/非活跃道口是一项重要的安全特征；（iii）对弱势道路使用者的安全效益增加；以及（iv）在夜间有更大的安全效益。使用火车喇叭的弊端被认为被安全效益所抵消。本研究强调，如果这样做安全的话，减少火车喇叭的使用可能会面临道路使用者和铁路行业的阻力。
