Railroad-Highway Crossings
This domain tests safe crossing behavior at railroad-highway crossings, including passive crossings and stuck-vehicle procedures.
Approach
Slow down, look and listen, turn off the radio, and open the window. Do not stop on the tracks; make sure there is room on the far side before crossing. With a manual transmission, shift before the tracks, not on them. A crossbuck means yield, and multiple tracks require checking each track separately.
Stuck vehicle
Get out and move away from the tracks; run at an angle away from the train to avoid debris. Call 911 and give the crossing number from the blue sign.
Special vehicles
School buses and vehicles carrying hazardous materials must stop at all railroad crossings unless exempt.
Worked example
Traffic backs up beyond a crossing and the gate begins to lower. Reasoning: never stop on the tracks. The driver should stop before the crossing and wait, even if the light ahead is green.
Traps that cost marks
Driving around a lowered gate; assuming a train's speed; ignoring passive crossings without lights; stopping on the tracks in traffic.