Investigating Crash Contributing Factors at Public Highway-Railroad Grade Crossings in Kentucky

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

4:45 PM – 6:00 PM MT

Co-Author(s)

Arunabha Banerjee, Ph.D.

Post-Doctoral Research Associate
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States

Presenter(s)

Arunabha Banerjee, Ph.D.

Post-Doctoral Research Associate
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States

Co-Author(s)

TC

Trenten Cissell, n/a

Undergraduate Student Researcher
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States
DJ

Dylan Justice, N/A

Undergraduate Student Researcher
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States
LS

Luke Southard, N/A

Undergraduate Student Researcher
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States
SC

Shamar Crump, N/A (he/him/his)

Undergraduate Student Researcher
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY, United States
AN

Alrose Noronha, N/A

Undergraduate Student Researcher
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY, United States
TK

Tathagatha Khan, Ph.D.

Post-Doctoral Research Associate
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States
RR

Rahul Raoniar, Ph.D.

Post-Doctoral Research Associate
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States

Primary Author(s)

KH

Kirolos Maged Haleem, PhD, P.E.

Associate Professor of Civil Engineering
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY, United States

Presenter(s)

KH

Kirolos Maged Haleem, PhD, P.E.

Associate Professor of Civil Engineering
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY, United States

Submitter(s)

KH

Kirolos Maged Haleem, PhD, P.E.

Associate Professor of Civil Engineering
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY, United States

Abstract: Highway-railroad grade crossings (HRGCs) are intersections where different modes of transportation (e.g., trains, vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists) intersect at the same grade. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), over 2,000 crashes and 200 fatalities occur annually at HRGCs across the U.S. Between 2015 and 2019, Kentucky recorded 13 fatalities at HRGCs. Additionally, HRGC-related crashes from 2021 to 2023 showed an upward trend in both total and severe crashes, raising safety concerns for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC).

Considering the aforementioned statistics, this study focuses on evaluating the crash contributory factors at public HRGCs in Kentucky and suggests targeted countermeasures to improve safety at such critical locations. The crash data, including 1,117 crashes at public HRGCs between 2014 and 2023 were retrieved from KYTC. Thereafter, crash-related factors (i.e., manner of collision, time of the day, weather, at-fault vehicle type, driver distraction, and aggressive driving), geometry-related factors (i.e., presence of vertical grade, presence of horizontal curve, area type, posted speed limit, and number of lanes), and railroad-specific factors (i.e., type of train detection, whether track is signalized, type of advance warning signs present, presence of pavement markings, presence of channelization or median, and whether crossing was illuminated) were investigated. Statistical approaches, including the odds ratio (OR) and Chi-square test of independence, were implemented to investigate the crash contributing factors at HRGCs. Additionally, crash narratives were manually investigated to identify the possible causes for such crashes at public HRGCs in Kentucky.

The study revealed that the most common types of collisions at HRGCs were angle crashes (30.9%) and rear-end crashes (28.8%). In terms of vehicle involvement, passenger cars were responsible for 52.8% of crashes, while light trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) accounted for 29.5% of crashes. The study also highlighted distracted driving (47.2%) and aggressive driving (26.2%) as key contributing factors to these incidents at HRGCs. Furthermore, the OR results revealed that HRGC-related crashes involving head-on and single-vehicle collision types, collectors and local roads, presence of horizontal curve, and absence of channelization or medians had the highest crash severity odds. Furthermore, the in-depth investigation of the crash narratives revealed that driver behavior and distraction were the primary factors leading to crashes at HRGCs. Additionally, the investigation of the crash narratives highlighted that geometry-related factors, such as slippery/wet roads, loose manhole, and uneven surfaces, were contributing to HRGC crashes. To address the safety issues at HRGCs, installation of channelizing islands and improving the overall geometry of the HRGCs could reduce the severity of the crashes. The study findings provide valuable insights for KYTC and other States’ Department of Transportation to enhance driver safety around public HRGCs.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees can expect to learn the following from this session:

evaluate the crash contributory factors at public highway-railroad grade crossings (HRGCs) in the state of Kentucky.
suggest targeted countermeasures to improve safety at public highway-railroad grade crossings (HRGCs) in the state of Kentucky.
manually investigate police crash narratives to identify the possible causes for such crashes at public highway-railroad grade crossings (HRGCs) in the state of Kentucky.