Railroad crossings

[Innisfree]

Do you stop before driving across a railroad track? I was taught to always do so, and the lesson was reinforced when I was on a train which hit a car. The crossing signal had malfunctioned, and the young woman who was driving was killed.

My newest young driver says the rule is still that one should stop, but we notice that hardly anyone does. Other drivers seem impatient: on a recent trip to Canada, even slowing before crossings seemed to cause frustration, though local drivers here seem to tolerate slowing before crossing.

I checked our local state rules online. All I can find is a reference to stopping “except in cities and towns.” That’s not what dd was taught, though, so I’m confused. I also found a link, which for some reason I can’t copy, from nhtsa.gov. It mentions the old “stop, look, and listen” standard which I learned.

What do drivers do where you are? Does it annoy you when people slow or stop? What’s the right way to proceed?

[Laura Corin]

I don't stop unless the lights are flashing/barriers are down, and I haven't seen others do otherwise in Scotland. I just slow down.  The Highway Code say 'approach with care'.

[Kuovonne]

No. I do not always stop before crossing railroad tracks. If the crossing has signals and the signals are not on, I assume that it is safe to cross.

I regularly have to cross over railroad tracks. The tracks are right next to an intersection of two busy roads, both of which get backed up with traffic. If everyone stopped at the tracks even when the signals are inactive, it would be annoying and back up traffic even more.

When approaching from one side, when the regular traffic light turns green and RR signal is off, everyone goes through the regular traffic intersection and over the railroad tracks without stopping. 
 

When approaching from the other side, if the RR signal is off and the light is green, everyone continues over the tracks and through the intersection. People slow down if they are turning at the intersection after the RR tracks, but the slow because they are turning, not because of the tracks.

Edited May 1 by Kuovonne

[Arcadia]

We have the light rail and the big Amtrak size trains. For the big trains, people don’t stop unless light is flashing and gantries are down. That is because the big trains are very loud and even if the gantries and lights are spoilt, it would be hard to not know they are coming.  For the light rail tracks, people do slow down a little because there are no gantries for most of the tracks, and the light rail is a lot less noisy so you might not hear them coming. 

[marbel]

Anyone stopping at railroad crossings without lights flashing, bells ringing, and barriers down would potentially be setting themselves up for a road rage incident. People here get mad if you don't turn right on red (except where it's prohibited); I can't even imagine what would happen if people stopped at the many RR crossings. I would stop at a rural crossing, but not in my urban/suburban area.  

[sgo95]

We have a train track running through town. The train always blows a very loud horn when approaching a crossing. So even without the warning lights, it would not be possible to miss that the train is coming. At the same time, our town has a slow pace of life and people would not honk if you stopped at the track when no train is coming. That amount of caution is unnecessary where I live though.

[sweet2ndchance]

I live in a railroad town. Only school buses stop at all railroad tracks regardless of whether the lights and bells are going. 

[Katy]

I’ve lived in multiple areas rural enough to not have flashing lights or gates. I knew one person who was killed at a private rail crossing on his family farm. In the country I slow and look at the very least. In towns I usually follow traffic, but look around when I do so. 

[Innisfree]

3 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

the big trains are very loud

Topography here seems to prevent sound from traveling reliably.

[Innisfree]

So am I imagining that the rule used to be to always stop, or is the issue that habits have changed? I swear I remember “stop, look, and listen,” repeated ad infinitum.

[Arcadia]

5 minutes ago, Innisfree said:

Topography here seems to prevent sound from traveling reliably.

Then maybe do a rolling stop unless that would cause a pile up collision. 

[Catwoman]

3 minutes ago, Innisfree said:

So am I imagining that the rule used to be to always stop, or is the issue that habits have changed? I swear I remember “stop, look, and listen,” repeated ad infinitum.

I don’t remember ever having been taught to stop at railroad crossings. Where I live, you would cause an accident if you did that.

Only school buses stop at railroad crossings.

[mmasc]

https://www.dmv.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt416/files/inline-documents/nhdm.pdf
 

page 22 states that the railroad sign cautions the driver “to slow down or stop, to look and listen for a train or a railroad vehicle before proceeding.” 

I don’t know what people do where I currently live because I can’t remember the last time I actually crossed a railroad track living here!🤔

[Catwoman]

54 minutes ago, marbel said:

Anyone stopping at railroad crossings without lights flashing, bells ringing, and barriers down would potentially be setting themselves up for a road rage incident. People here get mad if you don't turn right on red (except where it's prohibited); I can't even imagine what would happen if people stopped at the many RR crossings. I would stop at a rural crossing, but not in my urban/suburban area.  

Same here, but I don’t even think I would stop at a rural crossing unless it was really a blind spot and I was sure there was no one behind me who would plow into the back of my car, because people just don’t stop at railroad crossings around here unless they know there’s a train coming.

[Lecka]

I come to a stop at every crossing that has a sign saying “come to a stop, no signal.”  
 

I do not come to a stop at crossings that have a signal.  
 

School buses here do come to a stop at all crossings.  
 

Edit:  I only see the signs saying to stop in areas with extremely little traffic.  I wouldn’t stop either if I thought someone would run into me.  

Edited May 1 by Lecka

[Heartstrings]

I don’t stop at them if there are no lights flashing but I always glance in both directions as I approach.  

[Wheres Toto]

I don't stop unless there are lights and the gates come down.  Some crossings are in busy areas since we have a fairly robust public train system (NJ Transit) around here.   School buses and certain types of trucks, like those carrying combustible materials, are required to stop at all crossings. 

[Annie G]

School buses stop, and there are some commercial vehicles that have a sign on the back that says ‘we stop at all railroad crossings’- I assume the sign is to warn people so they don’t hit them from behind or get mad. 
I’m in my 60’s and when I learned to drive the rule was to stop at any crossing that doesn’t have either  lights or an arm.  (Of course stop if it DOES have those and they’re active!)

Edited May 1 by Annie G

[Innisfree]

I wonder if there are longstanding geographical variations. I’m not literally the only person stopping here; it’s just that few do. More people slow down. I’ve never felt in danger of being hit from behind until the recent trip. Clearly standards were different there. Visibility was also better, though.

23 minutes ago, mmasc said:

page 22 states that the railroad sign cautions the driver “to slow down or stop, to look and listen for a train or a railroad vehicle before proceeding.” 

Yes, this is exactly what I learned.

[Innisfree]

We’re not in a big urban area, so there’s somewhat less traffic than I think many of you are dealing with. Speed limits are generally low going across the tracks.

[Pawz4me]

The only track I cross with any regularity has a barrier arm and flashing lights. The only vehicles I see stopping are school buses and some commercial vehicles (I think the ones carrying propane, gas/diesel or anything flammable are required to stop?). I never see regular passenger vehicles stop.

[kathyl]

I was taught to stop at all RR crossings when I learned to drive (70s).  As time went on, I mostly just slowed down and looked.

Here, the RR tracks are so rough that most people have to at least slow down unless they want their cars torn up.  So I slow down, creep over the VERY rough tracks, looking down the tracks before and during the process.

A lot of the tracks don't even have the barriers or lights here either.  So you kind of have to hear or see the train coming.  

[bookbard]

I just googled and there's a 'stop, look, listen, think' campaign for level crossings, and it says 44 people died between 2020 and 2024 (with 186 crashes altogether). I know in Victoria (state) they are removing 110 level crossings, both for safety and ease of traffic. The majority of level crossings in Australia (79%) don't have lights or boom gates, they're in rural areas so you just have to watch out. 

[Corraleno]

25 minutes ago, mmasc said:

https://www.dmv.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt416/files/inline-documents/nhdm.pdf
page 22 states that the railroad sign cautions the driver “to slow down or stop, to look and listen for a train or a railroad vehicle before proceeding.” 

2 minutes ago, Innisfree said:

Yes, this is exactly what I learned.

But that manual also says: "When the intersection is clear, drivers should look both ways and cross quickly, without stopping. The law requires buses carrying passengers and trucks carrying flammable or hazardous material to stop at any railroad crossing, even if there is no sign of a train coming. Drivers should be ready to stop when driving behind these vehicles." Together, those statements imply that cars only need to stop if (1) there are signs that a train is coming or (2) they are behind a bus or truck that is required to stop even if no train is coming.

This is what the Oregon DMV says:
"Stop before railroad tracks when:
* Flashing red lights are activated.
* An approaching train is clearly visible or is so close to the crossing that it would be hazardous for you to try to cross.
* A stop sign is posted, even if you do not see a train coming.
* A flagger signals you to stop."

I live in a major metro area, so there are lots of tracks here for both freight and commuter trains, and they cross very busy streets. Anyone who tried to stop before crossing tracks in the middle of town would likely get rear-ended and would be considered at fault, because you are not supposed to stop, with the exception of school buses and trucks with hazardous materials. 

 

[73349]

On foot, or at a crossing without signals: stop, look, and listen. I grew up close to train tracks and I think the school I went to for K-2 made it the #1 priority for kids to learn to stay away from train tracks and when necessary, to cross safely.

If there's a signal, I obey the signal, and I make sure traffic doesn't stop me on or close to the tracks.

State law in NC is obey the signal, or look for a train if there is no signal. ETA: There are no crossings without signals near me,

Quote

Obedience to railroad signal.
(a) Whenever any person driving a vehicle approaches a railroad grade crossing under
any of the circumstances stated in this section, the driver of the vehicle shall stop within 50 feet,
but not less than 15 feet from the nearest rail of the railroad and shall not proceed until he can do
so safely. These requirements apply when:
(1) A clearly visible electrical or mechanical signal device gives warning of the
immediate approach of a railroad train or on‑track equipment;
(2) A crossing gate is lowered or when a human flagman gives or continues to
give a signal of the approach or passage of a railroad train or on‑track
equipment;
(3) A railroad train or on‑track equipment approaching within approximately
1500 feet of the highway crossing emits a signal audible from that distance,
and the railroad train or on‑track equipment is an immediate hazard because of
its speed or nearness to the crossing; or
(4) An approaching railroad train or on‑track equipment is plainly visible and is in
hazardous proximity to the crossing.

 

Edited May 1 by 73349

[mmasc]

@Corraleno I did notice that statement as well, but after reading that section a couple of times I finally decided that the reference was to the paragraph above it—meaning those drivers who did have to stop. Once the intersection is clear, then they pass quickly. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[EKS]

I do not stop at railroad tracks unless a train is coming.

[Bootsie]

I am extremely careful when it comes to RR crossings.  My grandfather was a train conductor and emphasized how a train cannot stop and told how difficult it was when he had to tell a family that their son was killed when the train could not stop.  I slow down (most of the tracks here are too bumpy to cross without slowing down) and I make sure that I look and listen, even if it is a crossing with arms/flashing lights.  We have one track within two miles of my house that crosses a busy street right at a major traffic signal.  It would cause major traffic problems if cars preceeded through a green light and then immediately stopped at the tracks 

[gardenmom5]

I assume you are referring to uncontrolled RR crossings (re: no lights/gates).   probably is a good idea - to NOT rely upon trains to be blowing their whistle to indicate they're coming.  

I'm in the city, so we have gates/lights.   and . . . they have removed a section of track for the freeway so we don't have trains anymore anyway.

[Bootsie]

I am very careful not to stop ON the tracks.  A number of the railroad tracks here are just past an intersection and cars will stop ON the track at the red light.  I am very careful to stop on the outside of where the gates will come down should a train come.  It see a number of people stopping at the traffic light ON the tracks and it drives me crazy.  

[kirstenhill]

I just refreshed my memory on my state's laws - unless there is a stop sign, warning lights flashing, or crossing arm down, only school busses and certain designated large vehicles are instructed to stop. Other drivers are just instructed to look both ways and slow down as necessary to safely drive across. 

I find the bigger issue is people stopping on tracks - we have tracks crossing through busy sections of town very near intersections.  It's easy to end up stoping on the tracks if you aren't paying attention. 

Edited May 2 by kirstenhill

[KungFuPanda]

I grew up in coal country with lots of RR crossings and no signals or gates. If you could see a great distance in both directions you could get away with slowing  down and looking, but in a woodsy rural area you can’t often see too far. You have to stop, look, and listen for the whistle.

[Clarita]

I don't stop at the railroad crossings unless lights and/or gates are coming down. Where the railroads are near me are considered urban areas so the trains typically are making a lot of noise honking and stuff not just the train rumbling. If I stopped I'd likely be rear-ended. 

[SKL]

If I can't easily see a reasonable distance up and down the track, I stop or slow way down before going over the tracks.

The barriers and lights generally work, but I know they don't always.  So why risk it?

I don't really care what other drivers think of my choice in this regard.

[Carrie12345]

10 hours ago, Wheres Toto said:

I don't stop unless there are lights and the gates come down.  Some crossings are in busy areas since we have a fairly robust public train system (NJ Transit) around here.   School buses and certain types of trucks, like those carrying combustible materials, are required to stop at all crossings. 

I don’t really cross tracks here in PA, so I had to think about NJ. Traffic would be even more insane if every car stopped!

[KungFuPanda]

I want to add that the tracks in rural wv are not something you’d go over at normal speeds anyway. They’re like unforgiving speed bumps and not at all set into the road like you see in cities. Also, there’s no real traffic there. 

[Innisfree]

Thanks, everyone. You’ve given me some insight into what’s going on at the crossings.

[chiguirre]

There are railroad crossings at both of my town's major arteries' intersections with our highway. The RR crossings are also busy intersections with regular traffic signals. I'm careful not to stop on the tracks, but otherwise I just drive through. The only vehicles that stop are buses and hazardous materials trucks. If everyone stopped, we'd live in a constant traffic snarl that would be unbearable.

[Lecka]

This might be a strange thing to say, but being hit by a train is considered a way to commit suicide here, where there is plausible deniability that the person was committing suicide.  
 

It’s like a “single vehicle crash” type of committing suicide.  
 

So I definitely do NOT think any specific person has committed suicide.

 

But it’s also definitely a way that people commit suicide.  
 

This is not a close relative to me, but I have a relative who worked on a train, and the train hit someone they were sure committed suicide.  It takes the train so long to stop, and it’s horrible.  This relative had a very good-paying, good-benefits job for him, and he left over this.  He had to get a totally different job.  

[Innisfree]

49 minutes ago, Lecka said:

This might be a strange thing to say, but being hit by a train is considered a way to commit suicide here, where there is plausible deniability that the person was committing suicide.  
 

It’s like a “single vehicle crash” type of committing suicide.  
 

So I definitely do NOT think any specific person has committed suicide.

 

But it’s also definitely a way that people commit suicide.  
 

This is not a close relative to me, but I have a relative who worked on a train, and the train hit someone they were sure committed suicide.  It takes the train so long to stop, and it’s horrible.  This relative had a very good-paying, good-benefits job for him, and he left over this.  He had to get a totally different job.  

Yes, I know of a case where that was suspected by the authorities. The people who knew the woman involved didn’t agree. 

In the case I mentioned initially, there was no doubt that the crossing guard malfunctioned. That situation did make a strong impression on me, as I was on the train during the collision. 

[livetoread]

14 hours ago, kathyl said:

Here, the RR tracks are so rough that most people have to at least slow down unless they want their cars torn up.  So I slow down, creep over the VERY rough tracks, looking down the tracks before and during the process.

Me too. I just assume crossing is going to be rough no matter where I am and slow down, looking both ways as I cross.

[Dmmetler]

I want to say that there's a stop sign by every train crossing I drive regularly, so that forces a stop. We have a bunch of weird train crossings and intersections, including the 5 way which is actually a 7 way intersection if you count the train and a long driveway to a plumbing company, and the way they handle them all seems to be all way stops for everything but the train. 

 

 

[SKL]

I should probably add that the railroad crossings that come to my mind are not in high traffic areas.  I guess our civic planners decided it's best not to have a train running through the city streets, and I tend to agree.  😛

I lived rural in my early years of driving, so the RR crossings just had a sign - no lights, no moving barriers.  It would be idiotic to not check for an oncoming train at such crossings.  So maybe that is why I have the habit.

I also agree with it not being good for our cars to try to whiz over such crossings.

[Pawz4me]

As former RV'ers we've traveled a lot across the US. Some tracks are so smooth you barely feel them at 50+ mph, others are horrendous at 5 mph. The tracks here that I go over most frequently are well maintained and very smooth. They're close to a "T" intersection, so most traffic is only going a few mph, but they'd be fine at a much higher speed. Our city, however, has an abandoned track that goes right by a large mall and crosses some of the busiest streets in the city. It's horribly rough. The city and Norfolk Southern have had a long running dispute about NS not maintaining the tracks.

[dsmith]

I slow down while looking. The two crossings in town have a good view to each side and the freight trains that use that line go very slow. If I happen to cross the multitrack commuter line a town over I always stop and look, and there is a stop sign right there even though there are gates. I was crossing the freight line in another town and I did slow down and look, didn't see anything, and after I got over the tracks a train suddenly flew by much faster than the usual speed. The lights never flashed and the gates didn't go down. I let the police know that happened immediately in case the same thing happened at other crossings. We are in a trafficky suburb, so it's very unusual for a freight train to go that fast! The one thing that blows my mind is the people that stop on the tracks during peak traffic times. I have never stopped on a track - that just seems crazy to me. When someone stops on the tracks in front of me, I try to leave a lot of space in case they need to back up quickly. We don't get many trains coming through, but better safe than sorry!!

[prairiewindmomma]

PSA YSK while we are on topic: Every railroad crossing should have posted next to it a sign with the phone number for the emergency railway contact and the particular crossing number.  If you see a vehicle stall on a crossing or be involved in an accident blocking the tracks, call the railway first; they are faster than contacting 911. I saw a RV stall on the railway last year and get torn in half by a lumber train.  Trains often require more than a mile of stopping distance and they need the alert well before a train is in view.

[City Mouse]

I have seen railroad crossing that have stop signs, but that was long ago in Houston on a particular rail line that had unprotected crossings in a highly populated area. That rail line has long since been removed. The rural area where I live now has a few unprotected crossing but non of them have stop signs. The lines are not used anymore and no one stops for them. Only school busses are required to stop at all rail crossings in this state. A person who stopped at one of the crossings might end up getting rear ended by the next motorist as such a stop would be quite unexpected.  Usually I will slow down when approaching a rail crossing just because of the uneven, rough crossing.