A train has just cleared a railroad crossing where you were stopped. What does the manual tell you to do?
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A.
Sound your horn once and then proceed.
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B.
Wait before moving in case another train is coming. Correct
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C.
Follow the vehicle ahead once it starts.
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D.
Cross as soon as the last car passes.
The answer is "Wait before moving in case another train is coming."
The manual says not to move immediately after a train has passed, because another train may be following or coming from the other direction on an adjacent track. Option D is the pull for drivers working from the rule of thumb that the back of the last car means the crossing is clear.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. Sound your horn once and then proceed.
The manual asks for a wait, not a horn signal. This answer substitutes a general warning-horn habit for the specific wait the crossing rule requires.
C. Follow the vehicle ahead once it starts.
Following the car ahead does not replace checking for another train and waiting until any red lights stop flashing and any gates are fully raised. This answer treats the lead driver's judgment as the clearance signal the manual says the lights and gates provide.
D. Cross as soon as the last car passes.
The manual warns that a second train may follow or approach on another track. This answer comes from the rule of thumb that the back of the last car means the crossing is clear, which skips the check for a train on the other track.
This question tests your knowledge of Right of Way in North Carolina. Source: North Carolina Driver Handbook, "Railroad Crossing Safety," p.61..
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