Your car is stalled on railroad tracks and a train is coming. Which way should you run once you're out?
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A.
Along the tracks in the same direction the train is moving.
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B.
Away from the tracks and in the same direction the train is going.
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C.
Along the tracks in the direction opposite the train.
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D.
Away from the tracks and toward where the train is coming from. Correct
The answer is "Away from the tracks and toward where the train is coming from."
The manual says to leave the tracks and run toward the direction the train is coming from, because running "down the track" in the same direction the train is moving puts you in the path of debris from the crash. Choice A is exactly the mistake the manual calls out by name: running with the train because it feels like putting distance between you and the impact.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Along the tracks in the same direction the train is moving.
The manual calls this out by name; debris from the wreck travels the same way. This answer assumes running with the train buys distance, when the wreckage travels that same line.
B. Away from the tracks and in the same direction the train is going.
Combines the correct step of leaving the tracks with the wrong running direction. This answer reads "away" as any direction that opens distance, missing the debris hazard downstream.
C. Along the tracks in the direction opposite the train.
The manual tells you to leave the tracks, not to run along them. This answer treats the tracks as the safest lane because they are clear of obstacles.
This question tests your knowledge of Crash Procedures in New York. Source: New York State Driver's Manual, "Driving Emergencies: Stalling on Railroad Tracks," p.66..
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