Railroad-Highway Grade Crossings
What this domain tests
This domain tests the special stop rule for passenger-carrying buses, crossing judgment, and what to do if the bus stalls or is trapped on the tracks.
Core rules
- A bus carrying passengers must stop before a railroad crossing unless the crossing is exempt or controlled by a functioning traffic control device or an official directing traffic. Stop 15 to 50 feet from the nearest rail.
- Look and listen. Open the driver’s window, turn off noisy equipment, and ask passengers to be quiet. Look both ways and check for a second train.
- Do not shift gears while crossing. Use a low gear, cross without stopping, and make sure there is room on the far side before you start.
- Never drive around lowered gates or try to beat a train. If the gate is down, stop and wait.
- If the bus stalls on the tracks, evacuate passengers immediately and move them away from the tracks and debris path. Call 911 and the railroad emergency number if posted.
- At an exempt crossing, still approach with caution; an exemption removes the stop requirement, not the duty to look and listen.
Worked example
A driver approaches a crossing controlled by a functioning green traffic signal; no train is visible. A passenger insists the bus must always stop. Correct reasoning: the special passenger-bus stop rule does not require a stop at a crossing controlled by a functioning traffic control device, but the driver still slows, looks, listens, and crosses only when clear.
Traps that cost marks
Stopping 5 feet from the rail. Crossing while shifting. Following another bus too closely onto the tracks. Ignoring a second track. Staying on the bus after a stall.