A 3-minute lesson from the Tennessee course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Railroad crossing crashes shouldn't happen — they usually mean a driver ignored signs, markings or signals. Approach every crossing at a speed that lets you stop before the tracks, and never try to beat a train.
Know the rule
Drive at a speed that lets you stop before the nearest rail, and don't cross until every track is clear. Violating railroad signals carries the same penalties as other traffic control devices.
You're behind a school bus with no children aboard. It pulls right and stops at a crossing with no lights flashing. That's the law — buses stop at every crossing. Stop behind it, don't pass on a two-lane road, and wait.
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 a train is approaching a railroad crossing, how far from the tracks must you stop?
Between 5 and 10 feet
Exactly 100 feet
Right at the rail, no minimum distance
Between 15 and 50 feet
Answer: Between 15 and 50 feet
You must stop between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail when a train is approaching a railroad crossing.
