Abstract Introduction Based on the Federal Railway Administration (FRA) database, there were 25,945 highway-rail crossing accidents in the United States between 2002 and 2011. With an extensive database of highway-rail grade crossing accidents in the United States from 2002 to 2011, estimation results showed that there were substantial differences across age/gender groups for driver's injury severity. Method The study applied an ordered probit model to explore the determinants of driver injury severity for motor vehicle drivers at highway-rail grade crossings. Results The analysis found that there are important behavioral and physical differences between male and female drivers given a highway-rail grade crossing accident happened. Practical applications Older drivers have higher fatality probabilities when driving in open space under passive control especially during bad weather condition. Younger male drivers are found to be more likely to have severe injuries at rush hour with high vehicle speed passing unpaved highway-rail grade crossings under passive control. Synthesizing these results led to the conclusion that the primary problem with young is risk-taking and lack of vehicle handling skills. The strength of older drivers lies in their aversion to risk, but physical degradation issues which result in longer reaction/perception times and degradation in vision and hearing often counterbalance this attribute.

Highlights • The research examines the impact of highway rail-grade crossing on driver injury severity across age/gender groups • Ordered probit models were developed for driver injury severity • Marginal effects analysis were utilized to reflect the impact of contributing factors on each types of three injury levels • Speed control for both trains and vehicles will significantly reduce driver injury severity. • Roadway pavement, control device, area type, traffic volume, weather condition and visibility are also important factors.