West Virginia driving lesson · Signs, Signals, and Markings
Railroad crossings and traffic lights
A 3-minute lesson from the West Virginia course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Trains can't stop or swerve, so every railroad crossing is yours to clear. Traffic lights each carry a precise meaning, including the turns you may make on red.
Know the rule
Railroad crossing signs can be round or diamond-shaped, yellow with black symbols, or a white X of black-lettered bars called a crossbuck. A sign below it shows the number of tracks if two or more.
With two or more tracks, watch for a second train on the other track. Don't enter a crossing until the vehicle ahead has moved far enough for you to clear the tracks.
Steady yellow: the green is ending and red is next. Drive through only if your vehicle clearance is within the intersection. A yellow arrow means the green arrow is ending.
Steady red: stop and stay stopped until another indication lets you go, unless a green arrow permits your movement. A red arrow means stop and stay stopped for that direction.
Turn on red: you may turn right on red where two-way streets meet, or left from a one-way street onto another one-way street, after yielding to all traffic and pedestrians, unless a sign forbids it.
A circular flashing red is the same as a stop sign: stop completely and yield to all traffic and pedestrians. A circular flashing yellow means proceed with caution.
You're on a one-way street facing a red light, and the cross street is also one-way to the left. With no NO TURN ON RED sign, you may stop, yield to pedestrians and traffic, then turn left on red.
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.
What should you do if you approach a railroad crossing and the vehicle ahead hasn't cleared the tracks yet?
Enter the crossing immediately behind it
Pull around it into the oncoming lane to cross
Wait until it clears enough space ahead
Drive alongside the vehicle across the tracks
Answer: Wait until it clears enough space ahead
You should not enter a crossing until the vehicle ahead has cleared enough space, or you risk being trapped on the tracks.
