Failure To Stop At Railroad Crossing By School Bus, Commercial Motor Vehicle

Just as regular motor vehicles have to stop at railroad crossings, so do special motor vehicles. Vehicles such as commercial motor vehicles and school buses are required to drive safely. This means stopping at railroad crossings. While all vehicles should do this, it is important that special vehicles such as these do it. This is because they generally carry precious cargo. School buses and other transportation vehicles carry many people and in many cases they carry children. This makes it important for drivers to be even more careful. Those driving commercial motor vehicles are oftentimes carrying heavy loads or dangerous cargo.

An accident with these vehicles could do a lot of damage to a lot of people. If you regularly drive one of the vehicles mentioned in this article, you need to know about stopping at railroad crossings. This will keep you and those around you safe. It will also prevent motor vehicle infraction charges.

Stopping At Railroad Crossings

School buses, commercial motor vehicles, taxis, and motor buses are always required to stop at railroad crossings. They must stop at least 15 feet but not more than 50 feet from the rails of the track. Upon stopping, the driver of the vehicle must look and listen for approaching trains or locomotives. The driver should look and listen in both directions. This will make sure that there is no train approaching. This should be done before continuing to drive. When there is a warning that a train or locomotive is approaching, the vehicle should never cross the railroad tracks. A warning could be an automatic signal, a flagman, crossing gates, a law enforcement officer, or something else.

Driving Across Railroad Tracks

In addition, a vehicle shouldn’t be driven across railroad tracks if that vehicle can’t cross without shifting gears. If a vehicle doesn’t have enough space to completely drive across the tracks without stopping, it shouldn’t cross the tracks.

Failing to comply with any of the things mentioned in this article will result in a motor vehicle violation. You face 2 points assessed from your driver’s license and a fine of $150-250 if found guilty of this violation. To make sure that your rights are protected, consider contacting a motor vehicle violation lawyer.