Impact of Train Drivers’ Cognitive Responses on Rail Accidents

Abstract

Despite the innovations in automatic train control (ATC) systems to reduce the risk of driver error, many rail accidents still occur due to defects in these systems, emphasizing the essential role of the driver in preventing rail accidents and proper control of the train. This paper studies the influence of drivers’ cognitive performance, including attention and visual perception, on the occurrence of rail accidents. The research is conducted using so-called Ex-Post facto method on a random sample of 56 train drivers with a minimum of three years of experience. The research instruments included drivers’ cognition test system including WAFV (perception and attention function) sustained attention test, COG (cognitrone) selective attention test, LVT (visual pursuit) visual perception test, demographic questionnaire, and drivers’ safety history. Results of this research showed that there is no significant relationship between age and education level of train drivers, and rate of occurrence of rail accidents. A comparison on train drivers’ cognitive characteristics, between drivers with accident record(s) and those without, showed that the drivers who had experienced rail accident(s) had lower levels of sustained attention. However, no significant difference was found between the two groups in selective attention and visual perception. Investigating the association of drivers’ ages with their levels of sustained attention, the drivers with high levels of sustained attention were found to be significantly older than other drivers. According to practical implications of these findings, cognitive rehabilitation courses are recommended for train drivers to attenuate the risk of rail accidents.

Train driver selection: The impact of cognitive ability on train driving performance

“…While some studies suggest that age and train driving performance are unrelated (Edkins & Pollock, 1997; Hani Tabai et al, 2018), Hickey and Collins (2017) found that the train driving performance of older drivers was significantly higher than younger drivers. Also, in the same study, they found that older train drivers had lower working memory than younger drivers.…”

“…The influence of attentional and cognitive abilities on train driving performance is attracting growing scholarly interest across different rail environments, including light rail, high‐speed rail, and passenger rail services (e.g., Borowsky et al, 2019; Guo et al, 2019; Hani Tabai et al, 2018). In particular, the ability to direct attention to one source of information at a time, known as “selective attention” (Sohlberg & Mateer, 1989), is considered critical to avoid distractions and driving errors (Haga, 1984; Naweed, 2013; Phillips & Sagberg, 2014; Smiley, 1990).…”

“…This study makes three potential contributions to the train driving literature. First, it is among the first to examine how a theoretically derived combination of cognitive abilities influences train driving performance (e.g., Guo et al, 2019; Hani Tabai et al, 2018). Second, this study contributes to the growing number that measure driving performance in a train simulator (e.g., Olsson et al, 2022; Tripathi & Borrion, 2016), which provides a standardized high‐fidelity assessment of driver performance while controlling for unexpected or unknown influences on train driving performance (e.g., train breakdowns, network disruptions).…”