Should you go fast over railroad tracks?

While crossing a railroad (or a speed bump), you need to slow down, mainly to negotiate the uneven surface. Essentially, you take your foot off the accelerator and put it on the brake pedal.



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It IS good to slow down before you go over a rough surface like railroad tracks. But not because you'll hurt the brakes. You should slow down before railroad tracks so that you go slowly OVER the railroad tracks.

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Never trespass or cross tracks illegally. Railroad tracks are private property, not public trails. It's illegal and dangerous to walk on or near tracks unless you're using a designated crossing.

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Stop, look both ways, and listen. Know that trains always have the right of way. Don't stop on the tracks. Make sure you have room to get across.

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Expert-Verified Answer. The appropriate action to take when approaching a railroad crossing that does not have signals to direct traffic is Slow down and be prepared to stop.

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7 Steps for Safety - Highway-Rail Grade Crossings (Visor Card)
  1. Approach with care. Warn others that you are slowing down. ...
  2. Prepare to stop. ...
  3. Look both ways and listen carefully. ...
  4. If it won't fit, don't commit. ...
  5. Look again. ...
  6. Cross tracks with care. ...
  7. Keep going once you start, even if lights start to flash or gates come down.


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Wait until you can see clearly around the first train in both directions. Never walk around or behind lowered gates at a crossing. Do not cross the tracks until the lights have stopped flashing and it is safe to do so. You can be fined for failure to obey these signals.

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If there are no gates, drivers are required to stop and may proceed only when it is safe to do so. Remember, trains always have the right-of-way. Some roads will have lights and a crossbuck above the road on a cantilever. Flashing red lights with gates are used to temporarily close the road when a train is approaching.

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If gates at the crossing are in the lowered position, drivers must not go around them. It is against the law to drive around lowered gates. When a crossing signal system is activated, a train is almost always in the approach circuits, but may be blocked from view.

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The parallel lines of the rails converge toward the horizon and fool our minds into thinking the train is farther away than it actually is. It is virtually impossible to accurately judge the speed of a train when these combinations of illusions are present.

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What happens if you stand too close to a train? Air between person and the train moves with high velocity due to dragging effect and the air behind person is approximately still.

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