NTL Record

Title Railroad signal color and orientation : effects of color blindness and criteria for color vision field tests
Record ID 54840
Personal Name
Creator
Raslear, Thomas G.; Multer, Jordan
Source 34p. in various pagings
Corporate Creator United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Railroad Policy and Development; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research and Development; John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)
Publisher United States. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research and Development
Publication Date 20150300
Language English
Abstract This report concerns two issues: 1) whether color vision is necessary for locomotive crews who work on railroads where the signal system is either completely redundant with regard to signal color and signal orientation or the signal system only uses signal orientation; 2) what criteria should the railroad industry use for a valid, reliable, and fair field test of color vision. These two sets of issues are discussed together because they both relate to FRA’s Medical Standards Guidelines for locomotive engineers (49 CFR 240, Appendix F) and conductors (49 CFR 242, Appendix D) and to NTSB recommendations (NTSB 2013-18 and 2013-19) that FRA establish a field test for color vision for railroad employees who fail standard tests of color vision such as pseudoisochromatic plate tests. In the event that FRA considers reviewing its regulations regarding color vision, this information will be relevant and useful.
Rosap ID dot:12178
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/12178
TRT Terms Railroad signals; Color vision; Vision tests; Field tests; Human error; Train conductors; Locomotive engineers; Validity; Reliability; Railroad safety
General Subjects Signal color; Signal orientation; Medical standards; Pseudoisochromatic plate tests; Signal detection theory
Classification AGR - SAFETY AND SECURITY - SAFETY AND SECURITY;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Human Factors;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - Rail Safety;
NTL - SAFETY AND SECURITY - SAFETY AND SECURITY;
NTL - RAIL TRANSPORTATION - RAIL TRANSPORTATION;
NTL - RAIL TRANSPORTATION - Rail Safety
Geographical
Coverage
United States
TRIS Online
Accession No
1560873
Contract Number RR04A5/MJA97
Report Number DOT/FRA/ORD-15/03
Availability Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference Center
Resource type Tech Report
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/54000/54800/54840/TR_Signal_Color_and_Position.pdf
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository