Passive Railroad Crossing with Noisy Students
You are driving a school bus with 38 middle-school students on a field trip. The route crosses a single-track railroad at a passive crossing marked only by a crossbuck; there are no gates or lights. It is 9:20 a.m., and you are 15 minutes behind schedule. The road approaches the tracks at a slight upgrade, and the crossing has a stop line. The students are loud, and two are standing in the aisle. A train horn sounds in the distance, but you cannot see the train because of a stand of trees. The bus has air brakes, and the service door is closed. The crossing is not marked as exempt. You are the only adult aboard. You must decide how to approach and cross.
1. What is the required procedure at this crossing?
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Because this is a school bus and the crossing is not exempt, I must stop at the stop line. I would silence the students, bring the bus to a complete stop, open the service door, and look and listen in both directions. I would use the open door to improve my view and hearing, check for a train, and only then close the door and cross. I would cross in a low gear without shifting, keeping a steady speed, and I would not stop on the tracks. The upgrade matters: I need enough power to cross without stalling, but I should not race the crossing.
2. Two students are standing in the aisle. How does that affect your decision?
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It affects the decision before I reach the crossing. School buses do not carry standees, and no student should be in the aisle while the bus is moving. I would not proceed across the tracks until every student is seated and the aisle is clear. If the students will not sit, I would stop at a safe place before the crossing and deal with the behavior. A loud, standing group also makes it harder to listen for a train, so quieting them is part of the crossing procedure, not just discipline.
3. The train horn sounds, but the train is not visible. Do you cross?
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No. A horn means I must assume a train is approaching, even if the trees hide it. I would stay stopped short of the tracks, keep the students quiet, and continue looking and listening until I am certain no train is coming. I would not cross just because I am late or because I have crossed here many times before. If the view is permanently obstructed, I would wait for a clear view or for someone with better visibility to signal, and I would report the obstruction after the trip.