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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

Effect of Increased Light Flash Frequency on Grade Crossing Gate Compliance

Document Series:
Research Results
Author:
  • Federal Railroad Administration
Report Number
RR 26-07
Office
RDI-20
Subject:
Highway-Rail Grade Crossings
Keywords:
Grade crossing, railroad gates, flashers, railroad safety
Report Number
RR 26-07
Office
RDI-20
Document
Light Flash Frequency_final-A.pdf (467.23 KB)

Researchers found a significant reduction in grade crossing violations after strobing the grade crossing warning lights. The number of violations per grade crossing activation (violation rate) decreased by 43 percent after the installation of strobing post-mounted flashers. More significantly, the violation rate while the gates were descending decreased by 85 percent. There were no broken gates during the observation period after the installation. These results indicate that the rapid flashers improved drivers’ awareness of and compliance with the active warning devices.


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Last updated: Friday, September 11, 2026