Parking Rules, Stopping and Standing, and Railroad Crossings
Parking and stopping rules protect sight lines, fire access, and rail safety. The NJ exam tests the difference between parking, standing, and stopping, plus mandatory railroad-crossing behavior.
Definitions
- Stopping: briefly halting to load/unload or obey a signal, driver usually present.
- Standing: waiting with the driver available; still prohibited where signs say No Standing.
- Parking: leaving the vehicle.
NJ restrictions
Do not park within 10 feet of a fire hydrant, 20 feet of a marked crosswalk, or 50 feet of a railroad crossing; never block a sidewalk, crosswalk, fire lane, bridge, or tunnel. Posted signs override general rules.
Railroad crossings
- Stop 15 to 50 feet from the nearest rail when lights flash, a gate lowers, or a flagman signals.
- Never stop on the tracks; wait until you can clear the entire crossing.
- School buses and vehicles carrying hazardous materials must stop at crossings even without a train visible.
Worked example
The gate is down and red lights flash. You stop 15 feet before the rail. The gate begins to rise, but the lights still flash. Do not move yet: wait until the lights stop and the gate is fully raised, then look both ways and cross without stopping on the tracks.
Traps
Parking just for a minute at a hydrant; stopping on tracks because traffic ahead is backed up; and moving as soon as the gate lifts while lights still flash. Also remember that No Standing forbids waiting, not just parking.