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The report linked to the first post deals with the pursuit of a sealed corridor.  And while it recognizes that a sealed corridor cannot include today’s grade crossings, it pursues the question of whether crossings can be made inviolable so they can be included in a sealed corridor.  So the report is unusual in its deep exploration of the driver attitudes and beliefs that are commonly associated with crashes.  <o:p></o:p> It makes sense to learn as much about the crossing violator profile as possible.  If you are going to build a mousetrap, you need to learn what mice think.  One thing they think is that cheese tastes good.  Another thing they believe is that the presence of a mousetrap is irrelevant to the safety of mice.  If mice quickly learned that mousetraps were deadly, mousetraps would not work.   <o:p></o:p> Here is an example of this type of intelligence gathering on drivers, and the fine-tuning of crossing protection in reaction to that insight:  <o:p></o:p> Surveys have shown that most drivers do not realize that the grade crossing crossbuck means yield.  Most drivers simply believe that a crossbuck only marks the location of a grade crossing.  As a result of this finding, authorities are adding YIELD signs to all “passive” (non-signalized) crossings.  Logically, there is absolutely no need for the yield signs because the crossbuck means yield by its legal definition.  But most drivers do not know that, so authorities have concluded that passive crossings are largely unprotected in a practical sense.   <o:p></o:p> So what we will have, in effect, are crossings protected by two “yield” signs.  One drivers will understand, and one they won’t.  <o:p></o:p> However, I would say that the authorities have drawn the wrong conclusion in this case.  Drivers may not know that a crossbuck means yield, but they do know that a crossbuck means trains cross.  And most people realize that trains don’t stop for vehicle traffic.  So they understand what is required even if they don’t know that the crossbuck literally means yield.  So I would conclude that the authorities have decided to install a whole bunch of new yield signs to address a distinction without a difference.
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