Don’t Let the Choo-Choo Give You a Boo-Boo: Driving Near Railroad Tracks
If you’re within 100 feet of railroad tracks, the speed limit will generally be lower than the surrounding area. We know what you’re thinking: how am I going to beat out that train if I have to slow down?! Eh, perhaps you should let the train win just this once. And by “just this once” we mean “every time.”
If the railroad crossing features any kind of gate or warning signal, remain alert and aware of your surroundings and abide by all present traffic signals. Same deal as above: no playing chicken with the giant metal train monster; it’s in a different weight class.
Make sure you do the following at railroad crossings:
Light Rail Trains Are Still Heavier Than You Are
When approaching a crossing for a light rail transit vehicle, follow the same rules you would when driving up to a freight train crossing. These trains move much more quickly (as would you if you dropped a few lbs.), so attempting to race across the track before the train gets to you is still highly inadvisable.
- Look both ways and listen for oncoming trains. This might mean you have to turn down the Marilyn Manson for a sec.
- If there are cars directly ahead of you and near the tracks, wait for them to move forward so that your back end is not left hanging out in danger’s way. Be good to your back end; it’s been good to you.
- Be aware of vehicles that are required to come to a stop in front of railroad tracks, such as buses or certain types of trucks. Don’t hit them. You may have noticed that our urgings for you to avoid colliding with other vehicles is becoming something of a theme here.
- If you see flashing red lights, stop between 15 and 50ft from the tracks. (You probably won’t have a yardstick on you, so just guesstimating is fine.)
- If railroad crossing gates are down or are in the process of being lowered, do not attempt to drive through or around them. They will be very expensive to replace if you take one of them out, and this will cause an icky mess that someone will have to clean up. Also, you’ll die.