A 4-minute lesson from the Florida course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Trains can't stop quickly and are often going faster than they look. Crossings are marked with signs, pavement markings, lights and gates. Know exactly when you must stop, and where you must never stop.
Know the rule
Slow down near a railroad crossing and be ready to stop. Never stop on the tracks or within 15 feet of the crossing.
When the flashing red lights start, stop immediately. A train is coming. Stop before gates lower, and never drive around or under a gate, whether down or moving.
White pavement markings shaped like connected X's that show the danger zone next to the tracks, where anything could be struck by a passing train. Don't stop there.
A blue Emergency Notification System (ENS) sign is posted at every highway-rail crossing. It gives the railroad's emergency contact if there's a problem or something is blocking the tracks.
Blue ENS sign with emergency phone number and crossing ID
Know the rule
If your car stalls on the tracks, get everyone out immediately and away from the car. After the warning lights start flashing, 20 seconds is the minimum time before a train reaches the crossing.
If a train is coming, run away from the tracks at a 45-degree angle, toward the train, so you're less likely to be hit by your vehicle or debris. Then call 911 or *FHP (*347).
Traffic is backed up just past a crossing and the car ahead of you clears the tracks. Stay behind the stop line until there's room for your whole car on the far side, so you never end up stopped on the tracks.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
When approaching a railroad crossing, how close to the tracks are you prohibited from stopping?
Within 15 feet
Within 5 feet
Within 25 feet
Within 50 feet
Answer: Within 15 feet
Do not stop on the railroad tracks or within 15 feet of the crossing.
