Railroad-highway crossings

Question 1

What is a passive railroad-highway crossing?

Accepted Answer

One that does not have any type of traffic control device

Answer

One with gates but no lights

Answer

One that is no longer used by trains

Question 2

At a passive crossing, who decides whether it is safe to proceed?

Accepted Answer

You, the driver, entirely

Answer

The railroad signal operator

Answer

The vehicle in front of you

Question 3

What helps you recognize a passive crossing?

Accepted Answer

Yellow circular advance warning signs, pavement markings, and crossbucks

Answer

Flashing red lights with bells and a lowered gate

Answer

A traffic officer posted at the crossing

Question 4

What is an active railroad-highway crossing?

Accepted Answer

One with a traffic control device installed to regulate traffic at the crossing

Answer

One where trains pass at least once every hour

Answer

One that is marked only by a crossbuck sign

Question 5

What does the advance warning sign for a railroad crossing look like?

Accepted Answer

Round, black on yellow

Answer

Square, white on green

Answer

Triangular, red on white

Question 6

What does the advance warning sign tell you to do?

Accepted Answer

Slow down, look and listen for the train, and be prepared to stop at the tracks

Answer

Speed up, so that you clear the crossing before a train arrives

Answer

Turn around, and find another road that has no crossing

Question 7

What do the railroad pavement markings consist of?

Accepted Answer

An "X" with the letters "RR" and a no-passing marking on 2-lane roads

Answer

A yellow diamond with a train symbol in each lane

Answer

Two red stripes painted across the full roadway

Question 8

A white stop line is painted before the tracks. Where must the front of the school bus be while stopped?

Accepted Answer

Behind the line

Answer

On the line

Answer

Just past the line for a better view

Question 9

What does a crossbuck sign require of you?

Accepted Answer

To yield the right-of-way to the train

Answer

To sound the horn three times

Answer

To turn off the headlights

Question 10

There is no white line painted at a crossing. Where must you stop the bus?

Accepted Answer

Before the crossbuck sign

Answer

On the first rail

Answer

Beyond the crossbuck sign

Question 11

What does a sign below the crossbuck indicate?

Accepted Answer

The number of tracks

Answer

The speed of the trains

Answer

The distance to the next crossing

Question 12

The red lights at a crossing begin to flash. What must you do?

Accepted Answer

Stop, because a train is approaching

Answer

Cross quickly before the train arrives

Answer

Slow down and cross with caution

Question 13

A crossing has more than 1 track. What do you make sure of before crossing?

Accepted Answer

That all tracks are clear

Answer

That the nearest track is clear

Answer

That the last train has just passed

Question 14

At a crossing with gates, when do you stop?

Accepted Answer

When the lights begin to flash and before the gate lowers across the road lane

Answer

When the gate has come fully down across the road

Answer

When you can first see or hear the train

Question 15

How long do you remain stopped at a gated crossing?

Accepted Answer

Until the gates go up and the lights have stopped flashing

Answer

Until the last rail car passes

Answer

Until the vehicle behind you honks

Question 16

The gate stays down after the train has passed. What do you do?

Accepted Answer

Do not drive around the gate, and call your dispatcher

Answer

Drive around the gate carefully

Answer

Have a student lift the gate

Question 17

In general, at which railroad-highway crossings must school buses stop?

Accepted Answer

At all crossings

Answer

Only at crossings without gates

Answer

Only at crossings where a train is visible

Question 18

Why does a school bus have no edge in a collision with a train?

Accepted Answer

Because of its size and weight, a train cannot stop quickly and has no escape route

Answer

Because trains are much narrower than buses and hard to see

Answer

Because trains always sound the horn too late to be heard

Question 19

What do you do with speed and brakes as you approach a railroad crossing?

Accepted Answer

Slow down, shifting to a lower gear in a manual transmission bus, and test your brakes

Answer

Hold your speed and brake hard at the last moment before the rail

Answer

Shift to Neutral and coast up to the stop line

Question 20

How far before a railroad crossing do you activate the hazard lights?

Accepted Answer

Approximately 200 feet

Answer

Approximately 50 feet

Answer

Approximately 1,000 feet

Question 21

What should you choose while approaching a railroad crossing?

Accepted Answer

An escape route in case of brake failure or problems behind you

Answer

A place where you can pass slower vehicles

Answer

The left lane, for a better view of the tracks

Question 22

How close to the nearest rail may a school bus stop at a crossing?

Accepted Answer

No closer than 15 feet

Answer

No closer than 5 feet

Answer

No closer than 30 feet

Question 23

What is the farthest from the nearest rail that a school bus should stop at a crossing?

Accepted Answer

50 feet

Answer

100 feet

Answer

200 feet

Question 24

Once stopped at a railroad crossing, what do you do about noise inside the bus?

Accepted Answer

Turn off all radios and noisy equipment, and silence the passengers

Answer

Turn the radio up to hear traffic reports

Answer

Nothing, noise does not matter

Question 25

What do you open while stopped at a railroad crossing?

Accepted Answer

The service door and the driver’s window

Answer

The rear emergency door

Answer

The roof hatch

Question 26

How do you hold the bus while stopped at a railroad crossing?

Accepted Answer

Transmission in Park or Neutral, and press the service brake or set the parking brakes

Answer

Transmission in gear with the clutch slipping

Answer

Transmission in Reverse with the hazard lights off

Question 27

At a multiple-track crossing, where do you stop?

Accepted Answer

Only before the first set of tracks

Answer

Before each set of tracks

Answer

Between the first and second sets of tracks

Question 28

In what gear do you cross railroad tracks?

Accepted Answer

A low gear, without changing gears while crossing

Answer

The highest gear available

Answer

Neutral, coasting across

Question 29

The gate comes down after you have started across the tracks. What do you do?

Accepted Answer

Drive through it, even if it means breaking the gate

Answer

Stop on the tracks and wait

Answer

Back up off the crossing

Question 30

What do you check again just before proceeding across the tracks?

Accepted Answer

The crossing signals

Answer

The fuel gauge

Answer

The student count

Question 31

Your bus stalls or is trapped on the tracks. What do you do?

Accepted Answer

Get everyone out and off the tracks immediately

Answer

Keep everyone seated and try to restart

Answer

Send one student to look for a train

Question 32

After getting off a bus stalled on the tracks, in which direction do you move everyone?

Accepted Answer

Far from the bus at an angle, away from the tracks and toward the train

Answer

Along the tracks, away from the train

Answer

Straight back along the road behind the bus

Question 33

A police officer is directing traffic at the crossing. What do you do?

Accepted Answer

Obey the officer’s directions

Answer

Follow the signals and ignore the officer

Answer

Wait for your dispatcher to confirm

Question 34

There is no police officer and you believe the crossing signal is malfunctioning. What do you do?

Accepted Answer

Call your dispatcher to report it and ask for instructions

Answer

Drive around the gates slowly

Answer

Cross quickly while the lights flash

Question 35

Your view down the tracks is obstructed. When may you cross?

Accepted Answer

Only when you can see far enough down the track to know for certain no trains are approaching

Answer

When you have heard no train horn for at least ten seconds

Answer

When another vehicle has crossed safely ahead of you

Question 36

Active railroad signals indicate the tracks are clear. What must you still do?

Accepted Answer

Look and listen to be sure it is safe to proceed

Answer

Cross without slowing down

Answer

Wait for a second signal

Question 37

How should you plan a route with railroad-highway crossings?

Accepted Answer

So that it provides maximum sight distance at the crossings

Answer

So that it uses the crossings with the fewest signs

Answer

So that it crosses tracks as often as possible

Question 38

As a general rule, how much containment or storage area does a school bus need beyond a railroad crossing?

Accepted Answer

The length of the bus plus 15 feet

Answer

The length of the bus plus 5 feet

Answer

Twice the length of the bus

Question 39

A crossing has a stop sign or signal on the far side. What must you be certain of before starting across?

Accepted Answer

That the bus has enough room to completely clear the tracks if it has to stop there

Answer

That the stop sign on the far side may be ignored by a bus

Answer

That the bus may stop on the tracks for a short time

Question 40

What should you know about the crossings on your route and on activity trips?

Accepted Answer

The length of your bus and the size of the containment area at each crossing

Answer

The name of the railroad company that owns the tracks

Answer

The color and length of the crossing gates

Questions and answers