DOT Entry Level Driver Training - Advanced Operating Practices: Railroad-Highway Grade Crossings

Railroad-highway grade crossings are dangerous for drivers. Every year, there are roughly 2,000 vehicle-train collisions and 200 fatalities at railroad crossings in the U.S. Commercial motor vehicles, or CMVs – heavy-duty trucks, tractor-trailers, and large passenger buses – are involved in many of them. Federal and state regulations address railroad-highway crossings because the consequences of these collisions can be costly and dangerous, even deadly, for those involved in the collision and also for surrounding communities. To ensure that you, your vehicle, and the train crews return home safely, be vigilant at and respect railroad-highway grade crossings. Always expect a train, slow down or stop before the crossing, as required, and make sure you can clear the tracks completely before starting across them. In a train-vehicle collision, the train always wins. School buses, passenger buses, and placarded vehicles transporting hazardous materials must stop at all railroad crossings, with a few exceptions. All other CMVs are required to slow down and check for approaching trains before proceeding. If you don’t slow down or stop when you are required to do so, drive around a crossing gate that is not fully up, or violate certain other crossing-related traffic laws, there’s a good chance you will be disqualified from driving a CMV for a period of time. It’s best not to take chances, for your safety, the safety of others, and your bank account.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the meaning of signs and signals used at railroad-highway grade crossings
• Identify the challenges and safety concerns related to railroad-highway grade crossings
• Recall federal and state railroad-highway grade crossing regulations
• Describe the requirements for “Emergency Notification Systems” to report unsafe conditions at railroad-highway grade crossings