What is the appropriate action to take when approaching a railroad crossing that does not have signals to direct traffic?
- Always bring the car to a complete stop.
- Slow down and be prepared to stop. ✓
- All railroad crossings have signals so you will never encounter this situation.
- Increase your speed to get across the tracks quickly.
Answer: B. Slow down and be prepared to stop.
Slow down and be prepared to stop when you approach a railroad crossing that has no signals.
Why this is the answer
The handbook covers crossings that have no gates or flashing lights. At those passive crossings, you should reduce speed and stay ready to stop. Before you go across, make sure no train is coming; if one is coming, wait for it to pass and then cross only when it is safe. That makes slowing down the right approach rather than treating the crossing as a place to rush through.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Always bring the car to a complete stop. — The handbook says to slow down and be ready to stop at passive crossings, not that you must always come to a complete stop.
- C. All railroad crossings have signals so you will never encounter this situation. — The handbook notes that some crossings lack gates or flashing lights, so it is not true that you will never meet one.
- D. Increase your speed to get across the tracks quickly. — Speeding up goes against the handbook's instruction to slow down and be ready to stop, especially since trains cannot stop quickly.
Remember it
At a passive crossing, think slow and ready: no lights or gates means check for a train before you cross.