What should you do when traffic is slow and heavy, and you must cross railroad tracks before reaching the upcoming intersection?
- Begin crossing when the vehicle in front of you is crossing the tracks.
- Wait on the tracks until the stoplight at the intersection turns green.
- Wait until you can completely cross the tracks before proceeding. ✓
Answer: C. Wait until you can completely cross the tracks before proceeding.
When traffic is slow and heavy, wait until you can completely cross the tracks before you start across.
Why this is the answer
The handbook says never to stop on the railroad tracks, and it tells you to hold back and not begin crossing if there is not enough room to get all the way across. In backed-up traffic the car ahead may stop short of the far side, leaving you sitting on the rails. Waiting until there is room to clear the tracks keeps you off them, which matters because being on the tracks puts you at risk of injury or death.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Begin crossing when the vehicle in front of you is crossing the tracks. — Following the car ahead just puts you on the tracks behind it, and if that car stops in the backup, you are stuck on the rails.
- B. Wait on the tracks until the stoplight at the intersection turns green. — Stopping on the tracks to wait for a green light is exactly the situation the handbook warns against, since you would be sitting where a train can hit you.
Remember it
Before you roll onto the rails, look at the space on the far side and ask yourself: will my whole car fit there?