Oklahoma driving lesson · Signs, Signals and Markings
Railroad crossing signs and Quiet Zones
A 3-minute lesson from the Oklahoma course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Railroad crossings are marked by an advance warning sign, and at the crossing itself by crossbucks, often with flashing lights, gates or a stop sign. Each device tells you exactly how much caution you need and when you must stop.
Railroad advance warning sign
Round, yellow and black. You're approaching tracks: slow down and be prepared to stop within 15-50 feet of the first track.
School buses, church buses, motor coaches and vehicles hauling explosives or flammable liquids must stop at railroad crossings. Don't pass a vehicle required to stop at a crossing except on a multi-lane highway.
Flashing lights on a crossbuck mean a train is coming. Always stop and remain stopped until the train has passed; with more than one track, be sure all tracks are clear.
At a crossing with flashing lights and a gate, stop when the lights begin flashing and before the gate comes down. Remain stopped until the gates are raised and the lights stop flashing.
An R X R and a stop line may be painted on the pavement before a crossing: always stay behind the stop line while waiting. At a crossing with a stop sign, stop completely and look both ways.
In a Quiet Zone the horn may still be sounded for emergencies or other safety reasons, and crossings may have supplemental safety features. Engineers still reserve the right to blow the horn.
