Many road, railroad intersections have protective gates that block the road and red flashing lights that illuminate when a train is nearby. New York State and Traffic Laws require a driver to stop at least 15 feet from the rail. Motorists that are first-time offenders of this law could be fined $150 to $250. Fines are doubled for second-time offenders, with the possibility of jail time.
Although major road, railroad intersections are complete with safety crossing gates and flashing signals, this technology is absent in many rural intersections. According to the Texas Railroad Crossing Safety Factsheet, its the responsibility of the motorist to avoid a train. To do this, especially at these rural intersections, it's important to look and listen for any sign of an oncoming train and then stop before the tracks if there is one coming. Trains are always moving much faster than they appear from a distance so drivers should never try to beat one out.
In the unlikely case that your car stalls out while crossing railroad tracks, and a train is coming, the best thing to do is vacate the vehicle. According to New York's Railway Crossing Safety, it can take trains anywhere from 1.5 to 2 miles to come to a complete stop.
