Citation

Rudin-Brown CM, Roosenboom D, Finch-Field C. Transp. Res. Rec. 2017; 2608: 1-9.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.3141/2608-01

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The widespread availability and affordability of voice and video recording systems allows researchers in all modes of transportation to observe, document, and study operator behavior. For example, naturalistic driving studies use technology to record discreetly everyday vehicle operations and driver behavior to understand the risk factors that contribute to unsafe situations. It has been proposed that similar technology could be used in locomotives to observe and evaluate the crew's use of controls and human factor issues. The joint (government-industry) Locomotive Voice and Video Recording (LVVR) project was convened to assess LVVR technology, document safety benefits, and identify best practices. An evaluation of safety-relevant human factors and operational issues was conducted to determine the adequacy of three types of recording systems (voice only, video only, and voice and video) to record and document locomotive crew behavior. All the LVVR systems that were evaluated, regardless of mode, allowed the identification of crews' responses to train control signals. Although it was often possible to identify operators' roles in the cab and their use of locomotive controls, evaluation of human factor issues--such as crew resource management, stress, fatigue, workload, situation awareness, and distraction--was less reliable. Recording modality and system-specific issues that limit the use of LVVR were identified. Collectively, the results indicate that LVVR systems that collect voice and video data and that are of sufficient technical quality to provide clear, unambiguous recordings are the most conducive to the assessment of crew operational and human factor issues.

Language: en