What should you never do at a railroad crossing?

Do not walk, run, cycle or operate all terrain vehicles (ATVs) on railroad tracks, rights-of-way or through tunnels. The only safe place to cross railroad tracks is at a designated public crossing. Do not cross the tracks immediately after a train passes. A second train might be blocked by the first.



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Trains can come from either direction. 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.

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Never try to make it across a railroad crossing if you see a train coming. The main reason is that it can take a train moving 55 mph over a mile to come to a complete stop if they pull the emergency brake. So there's no chance they can stop if you hit some bad luck and break down on the tracks.

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Never walk on tracks; it is illegal to trespass and highly dangerous. By the time a locomotive engineer sees a trespasser or vehicle on the tracks it's too late. It can take a mile or more to stop a train.

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Railroad tracks are private property, not public trails. It's illegal to walk on the tracks unless you're at a designated crossing.

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It is illegal to go around the gates. Warns of an approaching train and used to close the road when a train approaches. It is only legal to drive around lowered gates if the crossing is flagged by a law officer or railroad employee.

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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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A rider should cross railroad tracks by traveling straight across them and remaining in their lane. It may be tempting to cross tracks at a ninety degree angle; however, that may cause the rider to travel into the opposite lane. Last, one should never ride the center line or the berm of the road.

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Slow Down Firstly, you should slow down when approaching a railroad grade crossing. You must look around for clues that a train is on its way. Of course, you have built-in signals at the crossing. Most tracks come with lights and perhaps a bell to let you know that you have to stop.

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Explanation When stopping at a railroad crossing, you must stop at least 15 feet from the nearest rail. Come to a complete stop if you can see a train or hear its whistle, if there is a stop sign, or if flashing lights, lowered gates, or a flagger indicate that a train is approaching.

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The short answer is that trains must blow their horn's at railroad crossings because it is federal law (at least in the United States). The longer answer has to do with the safety of both the public, and the rail crew.

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Freight and Commuter Trains Don't stop on the tracks. Make sure you have room to get across. Once you enter the crossing, keep moving. Stop 15 feet away from flashing red lights, lowered gates, a signaling flagman or a stop sign.

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Anyone else on the track or grounds of the railroad is trespassing. Even though you might think that you are safe, more than 1000 people are either killed or injured each year in the United States while trespassing on railroad tracks, yards and other railroad property.

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That's because the noise a train makes is mainly projected to either side. When trains are moving directly towards you they are barely audible–until it's too late.” He adds: “It's surprisingly easy to overload the brain to the point where it can't triangulate where sound is coming from.”

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