What employees do today because of their experience yesterday

What employees do today because of their experience yesterday: Previous exposure to yellow:number aspects as a cause for SPAD incidents

Burggraaf, J.M. (TU Delft Safety and Security Science; ProRail)
Groeneweg, J. (TU Delft Safety and Security Science; Universiteit Leiden; TNO)
Sillem, S. (TU Delft Values Technology and Innovation)
van Gelder, P.H.A.J.M. (TU Delft Safety and Security Science)

Values Technology and Innovation

2022

When a train passes a red aspect, this is called a Signal Passed at Danger event or SPAD. Sometimes it is easy to identify the SPAD cause but in other cases it is unclear why the incident occurred, especially if the system operated as usual and the train driver was trained and experienced just like his or her colleagues. In previous research, train driver deceleration behaviour has been shown to be influenced by frequent exposure in the previous 14 days to less restrictive and visually similar signal aspects in the same location. Previous exposure can contribute to SPAD causation unless the initial insufficient deceleration is corrected in time. Six years of SPAD data and red aspect approaches in the Netherlands was used to test whether previous exposure to yellow:number aspects corresponds with a statistically significant increase in SPAD incidents if there is a small window for correction available to drivers. The permitted track speed and signal distance influence the size of this window. The results provide evidence for previous exposure as a cause for SPADs and details to identify locations with increased SPAD probability. Changes in infrastructure and timetable design or adding safety measures for these locations can prevent future SPADs.

Human factors
Incidental learning
Rail safety
Signal
SPAD
Train driver

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:1bf71b55-8ebe-402b-8cca-02c5533549da

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrtpm.2022.100332

2210-9706

Journal of Rail Transport Planning & Management, 23

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2022 J.M. Burggraaf, J. Groeneweg, S. Sillem, P.H.A.J.M. van Gelder