The Federal Railroad Administration sponsored the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center to develop an experimental procedure to understand the decision-making process of motorists at highway-rail grade crossings (HRGC) using a driving simulator. While the results of the initial pilot study on the effects of train arrival time were inconclusive, the experimental procedure that was developed may help inform future HRGC simulator studies. The first HRGC study using FRA’s driving simulator sought to validate the theoretical framework of Dr. Tom Raslear, who investigated the impacts on driver behavior of train arrival time variability. Dr. Raslear’s model predicted that increased variability in train arrival time at HRGCs may reduce the likelihood that a motorist will drive around active crossing gates. Federal regulations may have led to a public perception that trains arrive approximately 20 seconds after the onset of the warning device. The intention of this pilot study was to help FRA determine if a driving simulator provides an adequate environment to validate the proposed model. The results of this pilot effort may be used to help determine if a more complete study is warranted.