Development of a Simulator for Safety Assessment of Level Crossings
Chief Researcher, Safety Psychology Lab.

Hisaji FUKUDA

From a systems point of view, level crossings make the weakest point in the railroad system, accounting for the major part of fatal railway operational accidents in spite of several countermeasures taken, and as before, high priority continues to be given to the safety countermeasures. With a view to effective and elaborate prevention, we have developed a simulator using a personal computer to analyze a complicated traffic situation near a level crossing caused by train/road traffic, crossing installation etc. The simulator is aimed to reproduce visually real-time and conveniently the traffic conditions such as traffic jam or accidents; to evaluate safety, effects of equipment improvement and control of gate and alarm; and thereby to contribute to establishment of proper standard for signs design.

This system is configured by the following two subsystems : (i) traffic folw analysis simulation unit and (ii) visuality analysis simulation unit. (i) models structurally and mathematically, and analyzes quantitatively the traffic flow around a level crossing, being mainly composed of railway-train block, road-car block and a level crossing control block. It is available for grasping relations between traffic situation such as traffic jam and countermeasure, and for performing risk assessment. (ii) helps human sensitivity assessment about visuality, safety feeling/deterrent feeling and amenities/comfortability, which is difficult to attain by (i), using 3DCG(3-dimensional computer graphics). It is applicable for visuality assessment of level crossing or sign by change of viewpoint, design simulation and reproduction of accident scene ( Fig, 1, Fig. 2).

This system is combined with database on level crossings which amount to 40,000 all over the country, and is available for not only genaral analysis but also individual analysis. Furthermore it is useful for evaluation from separate standpoints of railway authority, road administrator and car driver; and from overall standpoint.