Railroad Crossings, School Buses, and Special Situations
What this domain tests
This domain covers high-risk special situations: railroad crossings, school-bus stops, work zones, fog, and mountain driving. The exam tests when you must stop and when passing is prohibited.
Core rules
- School buses, passenger buses, and vehicles carrying hazardous materials must stop at railroad crossings unless the crossing is exempt. Stop 15 to 50 feet from the nearest rail, look and listen, and do not stop on the tracks.
- Never go around lowered gates or try to beat a train. If your vehicle stalls on a crossing, get out and move away.
- Stop for a school bus with red lights flashing on an undivided road. Do not pass until the lights stop and children are clear.
- In work zones, fog, and mountains, reduce speed and increase following distance. Use low beams in fog.
Worked example
A school bus stops with red lights on a two-lane road. Traffic in both directions must stop and wait. If the road were a divided highway, traffic on the opposite side would generally not be required to stop, but traffic on the bus’s side must.
Traps
Stopping on the tracks, passing a bus while red lights flash, and using high beams in fog are common errors.