Railroad-Highway Grade Crossings
Domain 3 tests the school bus railroad-crossing stop: where to stop, what to shut off, how to listen, and what to do if the bus stalls. School buses must stop at every crossing unless the crossing is officially exempt.
The required stop
- Stop within 50 feet of the nearest rail but not closer than 15 feet.
- Open the service door, turn off noisy equipment (heater, defroster, fan, radio), and listen.
- Look both ways, listen again, close the door, and proceed without shifting gears while crossing.
- Never stop on the tracks. Make sure there is room to clear the crossing completely before starting.
- Obey gates and flashing lights. Never drive around a lowered gate.
Exempt crossings
An exempt crossing is marked by an official "EXEMPT" sign. Only then may the bus proceed without the full stop, and only if the driver still checks for trains.
Stalled or stuck on tracks
Evacuate immediately. Move students at least 100 feet from the tracks and away from the direction a train would come from. Call 911 and the railroad emergency number posted at the crossing. Do not try to restart the bus with students aboard.
Worked example
A bus approaches a crossing with the gate up but red lights flashing. The driver stops 20 feet from the rail, opens the door, and listens, but does not proceed because the lights indicate a train. The driver waits until the lights stop and the gate remains up, checks both directions again, closes the door, and crosses without shifting gears.
Traps
- Rolling through a crossing because the gate is up.
- Stopping closer than 15 feet or farther than 50 feet.
- Shifting gears on the tracks.
- Treating an "EXEMPT" sign as permission to ignore an approaching train.