by Jack Duhon
Abstract
In the last five years, (2019-2023) there have been 10,704 accidents
at highway-rail grade crossings (HRGCs) in the United States, resulting
in 3,859 injuries and 1,233 fatalities. This paper seeks to address impact
of quiet zones, where trains are not allowed to blow their horns before
going through a crossing, on HRGC safety in the United States. Using
a two-way fixed effects model, we find evidence of quiet zones increasing
accident incidence and accident severity, in some instances at a level far
higher than believed by the Federal Railroad Administration.
Professor Jeff DeSimone, Faculty Advisor
Professor Grace Kim, Faculty Advisor
JEL Codes: L92; L98; R41
Keywords: Accident, Railroad, Quiet Zone
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