Driver's License Test Prep
US Road Signs Regulatory Signs

What does this R15-6 sign require of a driver?

White square with a black border. Inside, a red circle with a red diagonal slash overlays a black silhouette of a car positioned on top of railroad tracks.
  1. A.
    Keep motor vehicles off the light rail or railroad tracks. Correct
  2. B.
    Stop before crossing the tracks ahead.
  3. C.
    Yield the right of way to any approaching train.
  4. D.
    The lane is reserved for buses and rail vehicles only.
The Why

The answer is "Keep motor vehicles off the light rail or railroad tracks."

The sign is a regulatory prohibition: motor vehicles may not travel on the light rail or railroad tracks that run beside the roadway. Drivers who read any track-related sign as a cue to stop reach for the stop-before-crossing answer, importing the rule that belongs to a crossbuck or an octagonal stop sign at the crossing itself.

Why the others miss

The traps in the wrong answers

B. Stop before crossing the tracks ahead.

That instruction belongs to a crossbuck with a stop line or a stop sign at a rail crossing, not to this prohibition on entering the track bed. Carries over the stop-at-a-crossing rule learned first and applies it to any sign posted near tracks.

C. Yield the right of way to any approaching train.

The sign is a flat ban on driving on the tracks, not a right-of-way rule about who moves first at a crossing. Reads any track-related sign as an instruction about who yields to whom.

D. The lane is reserved for buses and rail vehicles only.

This is a prohibition on all motor vehicles using the tracks, not a transit-lane sign granting access to particular vehicles. Sees a rail symbol on a white square and treats it as a transit-only lane marker.

The Rule

This question tests your knowledge of Regulatory Signs on the roads of every US state . Source: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, sign R15-6 (No Motor Vehicles On Tracks)..

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