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Ohio driving lesson · Passing, Railroads, School Buses & Parking

Railroad crossings

A 3-minute lesson from the Ohio course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
Passing, Railroads, School Buses & Parking
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
24, 34

A train can't swerve and needs a very long distance to stop. Railroad signs and signals exist so you stop well clear of the tracks and never get caught on them.

Signs of a highway-railroad grade crossing:

  • A round, yellow warning sign with an X and the letters RR
  • A white X-shaped crossbuck sign reading RAILROAD CROSSING
  • At some crossings, train-activated flashing red lights, with or without a gate
Handbook p. 24 ↗
Railroad crossing ahead
Round yellow railroad advance warning sign
Railroad crossbuck
White crossbuck sign

Stop zone when a train is approaching

Stop zone when a train is approaching
Distance from crossingRule
15 feetStop no closer than this
50 feetStop no farther than this
Handbook p. 24 ↗

Know the rule

Wait until the train has passed and any warning signals have stopped before crossing.

Handbook p. 24 ↗

Know the rule

At crossings with only pavement markings or crossbucks, slow down and be ready to stop if you see or hear a train.

Handbook p. 24 ↗

Know the rule

Never stop on the tracks, and never try to cross when a train is approaching. If the crossing has a stop sign, all vehicles must stop.

Handbook p. 24 ↗

These vehicles must stop at railroad crossings:

  • Vehicles carrying passengers for hire
  • School buses
  • Vehicles carrying explosives or flammable liquids
Handbook p. 24 ↗

Know the rule

Those drivers listen through an open door or window, look both ways for a train and for warning signals, then proceed with care.

Handbook p. 24 ↗

Know the rule

Increase your following distance behind vehicles required to stop at railroad crossings, such as buses or hazardous-materials vehicles.

Handbook p. 34 ↗

Put it into practice

The lights start flashing as you approach a crossing. Stop between 15 and 50 feet from the tracks. After the train goes by, wait until the lights stop flashing — a second train may be coming.

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.

How close and how far may you stop from railroad tracks when a train is approaching?
  1. No closer than 15 feet, no farther than 50 feet
  2. No closer than 10 feet, no farther than 25 feet
  3. No closer than 25 feet, no farther than 100 feet
  4. No closer than 5 feet, no farther than 20 feet

Answer: No closer than 15 feet, no farther than 50 feet

Stop no closer than 15 feet and no farther than 50 feet from the crossing when a train is approaching.

Handbook p. 24 ↗
Which of these vehicles must stop at every railroad crossing, regardless of warning signals?
  1. A standard passenger sedan
  2. A bus carrying passengers for hire
  3. A motorcycle
  4. An empty pickup truck

Answer: A bus carrying passengers for hire

Vehicles carrying passengers for hire, school buses, and vehicles carrying explosives or flammable liquids must stop at every railroad crossing.

Handbook p. 24 ↗
You may cross railroad tracks as soon as a train has passed, even if warning signals are still active.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: False

You must wait until the train has passed and any warning signals have stopped before crossing the tracks.

Handbook p. 24 ↗
Vehicles carrying explosives must stop at every railroad crossing, even without flashing lights.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

Vehicles carrying explosives or flammable liquids are required to stop at every railroad crossing.

Handbook p. 24 ↗
What is a white, X-shaped sign with the text 'Railroad Crossing' called?
  1. A crossbuck sign
  2. A yield sign
  3. A guide sign
  4. A prohibitory sign

Answer: A crossbuck sign

A white, X-shaped crossbuck sign with 'Railroad Crossing' text marks a highway-railroad grade crossing.

Handbook p. 24 ↗
What should the driver of a vehicle required to stop at a railroad crossing do while stopped?
  1. Only check the mirrors
  2. Wait exactly 10 seconds before proceeding
  3. Look and listen both ways for a train
  4. Wait for a flagger to wave them on

Answer: Look and listen both ways for a train

Required-stop drivers listen through an open door or window and look both directions for a train before proceeding.

Handbook p. 24 ↗
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