High-speed train drivers’ human error under fatigue and stress: the role of situation awareness and individual differences

Abstract

Fatigue and stress are critical variables that impair railway train drivers’ safety performance, and individual differences may influence these effects. This study investigates how fatigue and stress affect high-speed train drivers’ human error and the role of individual differences. We hypothesised that situation awareness (SA) mediates the effects of fatigue and stress on human error, and individual differences (age and work experience) moderate these effects. We surveyed 1,391 male drivers from eight Chinese railway bureaus and used PROCESS Macro for data analysis. The results revealed that fatigue and stress increased human error, directly and indirectly through SA. Age and work experience moderated the effect of fatigue and stress on SA, respectively. Older drivers had better SA under high fatigue, while more experienced drivers had better SA under high stress. These findings can inform more tailored safety management strategies to lower human error and enhance the safety of high-speed train operations.

PRACTITIONER SUMMARY

A cross-sectional survey of 1,391 high-speed train drivers in China indicated that fatigue and stress amplify human error by impairing situation awareness (SA). Age and work experience were observed to moderate the impact of fatigue and stress on SA, respectively. These insights guide the advancement of safety management strategies.

Keywords:

• Fatigue
• stress
• situation awareness
• human error
• individual differences

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to the railway bureaus in China for their support and cooperation in facilitating data collection.

Ethical statement

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Beijing Jiaotong University and informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant [number 72271015] and China National Railway Group Co., Ltd under Grant [number P2023J003].