When you are in a line of traffic that is crossing a railroad track that has no signals or gates:
- You have the right-of-way and do not need to check for trains.
- You may pass slower drivers while crossing the track.
- You need to make sure there is space for your vehicle to get all the way across the tracks without stopping. ✓
- All of the above
Answer: C. You need to make sure there is space for your vehicle to get all the way across the tracks without stopping.
When traffic is backed up at a railroad track with no signals or gates, wait until there is room on the far side so your vehicle can clear the tracks completely without stopping.
Why this is the answer
The handbook says to be sure the tracks are clear before you cross, and it states plainly that you should never stop on the tracks. A crossing marked only with a crossbuck or reduce speed sign still requires you to look both ways, listen, and stop for any approaching train. Since a train cannot stop for you, the safe move is to hold back until the line ahead has moved enough to fit your whole vehicle past the rails, so you never end up sitting on them.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. You have the right-of-way and do not need to check for trains. — The handbook says trains always have the right-of-way at crossings, so having a place in a line of traffic gives you no claim to cross without checking.
- B. You may pass slower drivers while crossing the track. — Nothing in the handbook allows passing slower drivers while crossing tracks; it tells you to slow down, look, listen, and cross only when it is safe.
- D. All of the above — This cannot be right because the other choices conflict with the handbook's rule that trains have the right-of-way and that you must never stop on the tracks.
Remember it
Pick a landmark past the rails and only start across when the space ahead is long enough to hold your car nose to tail.