At a railroad crossing with flashing lights or gates, what must you do?

At a railroad crossing with flashing lights or gates, what must you do?

• A. Ignore the signals if you are in a hurry
• B. Cross as soon as you see the track is clear
• C. Stop if required by the signals and proceed only when it is safe and clear
• D. Wait for a full minute before crossing

Answer: (C)

When you encounter flashing lights or a gate at a railroad crossing, treat it as a clear warning that a train may be approaching. You must stop if the signals require it and then proceed only when the signals stop and the crossing is clear. Trains can be far faster and closer than they appear, and they need a long distance to stop, so the safe rule is to wait until the warning devices are inactive and you can see there is no train approaching before crossing. This rules out rushing across while signals are active, or waiting a fixed amount of time, and emphasizes crossing only when it’s truly safe.

When you encounter flashing lights or a gate at a railroad crossing, treat it as a clear warning that a train may be approaching. You must stop if the signals require it and then proceed only when the signals stop and the crossing is clear. Trains can be far faster and closer than they appear, and they need a long distance to stop, so the safe rule is to wait until the warning devices are inactive and you can see there is no train approaching before crossing. This rules out rushing across while signals are active, or waiting a fixed amount of time, and emphasizes crossing only when it’s truly safe.