Walking the line: Understanding pedestrian behaviour and risk at rail level crossings with cognitive work analysis.
Pedestrian fatalities at rail level crossings (RLXs) are a public safety concern for governments worldwide. There is little literature examining pedestrian behaviour at RLXs and no previous studies have adopted a formative approach to understanding behaviour in this context. In this article, cognitive work analysis is applied to understand the constraints that shape pedestrian behaviour at RLXs in Melbourne, Australia. The five phases of cognitive work analysis were developed using data gathered via document analysis, behavioural observation, walk-throughs and critical decision method interviews. The analysis demonstrates the complex nature of pedestrian decision making at RLXs and the findings are synthesised to provide a model illustrating the influences on pedestrian decision making in this context (i.e. time, effort and social pressures). Further, the CWA outputs are used to inform an analysis of the risks to safety associated with pedestrian behaviour at RLXs and the identification of potential interventions to reduce risk.
['Read|Gemma J M|GJ|', 'Salmon|Paul M|PM|', 'Lenné|Michael G|MG|', 'Stanton|Neville A|NA|']
D000059:Accidents D000328:Adult D001315:Australia D001519:Behavior D003071:Cognition D003657:Decision Making D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007407:Interviews as Topic D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D019370:Observation D000069636:Pedestrians D011890:Railroads D012449:Safety D014505:Urban Population D016138:Walking D055815:Young Adult
Pedestrians Risk Rail level crossings Cognitive work analysis Constraints Systems approach