Understanding the relations between crowd density, safety perception and risk-taking behavior on train station platforms: A case study from Switzerland

Schneider, Andrea; Krueger, Eva; Vollenwyder, Beat; Thurau, Jasmin; Elfering, Achim (2021). Understanding the relations between crowd density, safety perception and risk-taking behavior on train station platforms: A case study from Switzerland. Transportation research interdisciplinary perspectives, 10, p. 100390. Elsevier 10.1016/j.trip.2021.100390

[img]
Preview
Text
Schneider_et_al_2021.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works (CC-BY-NC-ND).

Download (1MB) | Preview

Railway platforms are becoming increasingly crowded, especially at peak hours. In this observational study, we investigated how the density of people is perceived by passengers and how this perceived density correlates with safety perception and risk-taking behavior. Risk-taking behavior here means stepping into the danger zone, the area of the platform bordering the tracks where individuals are at risk to their physical integrity by a train passing through, arriving at or leaving the station. The investigation of perceived density and actual behavior on the platform poses methodological challenges. Therefore, we used a stereo sensor technology to collect anonymized behavioral data on a train station platform over two months. Data regarding passenger density and oversteps into the danger zone was collected during rush hours and analyzed for this study. Additionally, subjective data, such as estimation and perception of passenger density and safety perception were collected in a survey with 179 participants. Survey links were distributed during rush hours in three different train stations on platforms over two weeks. While distributing the links for the online survey in the field (two-hour sessions during rush hours), an observation was conducted (i.e., oversteps into the danger zone, general passenger behavior). The results indicate that increased measured passenger density is related to more oversteps. Subjective perception of crowd density, regarding how comfortable someone feels in the given situation, correlates with safety perception and also significantly predicts overstepping into the danger zone. Increased estimated density also correlates with reduced safety perception but is not a predictor of oversteps. We suggest optimizing the passenger distribution on the platform by motivating passengers to move to less crowded areas, e.g. with approaches such as “nudging” so that passengers feel more comfortable on the platform. This can both improve both safety and the customer experience on the platform.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

07 Faculty of Human Sciences > Institute of Psychology > Work and Organisational Psychology

UniBE Contributor:

Elfering, Achim

Subjects:

100 Philosophy > 150 Psychology

ISSN:

2590-1982

Publisher:

Elsevier

Language:

English

Submitter:

Christine Soltermann

Date Deposited:

04 Mar 2022 15:11

Last Modified:

02 Mar 2023 23:35

Publisher DOI:

10.1016/j.trip.2021.100390

Uncontrolled Keywords:

Railways; Train station platform; Safety; Safety perception; Risk-taking behavior; Passenger density

BORIS DOI:

10.48350/165573

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/165573

Actions (login required)

Edit item Edit item
Provide Feedback