Why is it important to cross railroad tracks at an angle of at least 45 degrees?

If a train is coming, get out immediately and move quickly toward the oncoming train and away from the tracks at a 45-degree angle. This is to protect you if the train does hit your vehicle. The debris will fly in the same direction as the train's path.



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Never drive straight across speed bumps or railroad tracks. Cross slowly at a 45 degree angle. Maintain steering control by keeping contact with the ground at all times. If an area is cluttered, walk the route first to spot problems.

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To minimise this rail spreading effect rails are often laid so they are tilted (inclined) slightly inward towards the centre of the track. This equalises the load through the fasteners and avoids the rails being spread apart in use.

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The important point is to have your front wheel cross the tracks at a right angle to avoid it becoming caught in the space between the rail and the pavement. The link below is to a good example showing safe procedure for crossing tracks.

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Never drive straight across speed bumps or railroad tracks. Cross slowly at a 45-degree angle. Maintain steering control by keeping contact with the ground at all times. If an area is cluttered, walk the route first to spot problems.

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Switch Angle: It is the angle between the gauge lines of stock rail and tongue rail at theoretical toe of switch (TTS) in close position. This angle depends upon heel divergence and length of tongue.

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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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Cross tracks only at designated pedestrian or roadway crossings. 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.

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Correct answer: 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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When engineers are planning a railway, right from the start they're thinking of ways to make sure trains can run as smoothly and quickly as possible. It's better if the track is laid as straight as possible, because the fastest way between two places is a straight line…

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