When can you drive around the gates at a railroad crossing?

Once you enter the crossing, keep moving. Stop 15 feet away from flashing red lights, lowered gates, a signaling flagman or a stop sign. Never drive around a lowering gate or ignore signals. After a train passes, wait for gates to fully rise and for all lights to stop flashing before your cross.



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No person shall drive any vehicle through, around or under any crossing gate or barrier at a railroad grade crossing while such gate or barrier is closed or is being opened or closed.

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What Vehicles Must Stop At Railway Crossings?
  • School Buses. A school bus must stop if the driver sees a red light or hears an audible bell at all railroad crossings, regardless of whether crossbucks mark the crossing or not. ...
  • Commercial Motor Vehicles Transporting Passengers. ...
  • Vehicles Carrying Flammable Materials.


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A person shall not proceed through, around, over or under a crossing gate or barrier at a railroad crossing while the gate or barrier is closed or is being opened or closed.

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A low-voltage electric current is sent between the two rails via a series of relays like the ones in this photo. When a train approaches, the current runs through the train's metal wheels and axles instead of the relays. This short circuit activates the crossing signal.

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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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A passive crossing is one that does not have flashing lights or automatic gates. The crossbuck sign, the white X sign, is a regulatory sign that means Yield. Crossbuck signs are required at all public railroad crossings. The railroad companies install and maintain crossbuck signs.

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