Railroad Crossing Safety
PLEASE READ THIS FIRST!
These excerpts are provided for information only and NOT as the basis for legal or judicial determinations. ALWAYS verify them against the most recent available copy of the law. The entire Vehicle and Traffic Law, sorted by section number, is available from the New York State Legislative Bill Drafting Commission. (scroll down to VAT)
Article 1 | Words and phrases defined |
Section 135-a | Railroad grade crossing |
Article 29 | Special stops required |
Section 1170 | Obedience to signal indicating approach of train. |
Section 1171 | Certain vehicles must stop at all railroad grade crossings. |
Article 44 | Traffic-control devices |
Section 1685 | All vehicles must stop at certain railroad grade crossings where stop sign is erected. |
§ 135-a. Railroad grade crossing. A location where a public highway or private road, including associated sidewalks, crosses one or more railroad tracks at grade.
NB Effective November 28, 2016
§ 1170. Obedience to signal indicating approach of train. (a) Whenever
any person driving a vehicle approaches a railroad grade crossing under
any of the circumstances stated in this section, the driver of such
vehicle shall stop not less than fifteen feet from the nearest rail of
such railroad, and shall not proceed until he can do so safely. The
foregoing requirements shall apply when:
1. An audible or clearly visible electric or mechanical signal device
gives warning of the immediate approach of a railroad train;
2. A crossing gate is lowered or when a human flagman gives or
continues to give a signal of the approach or passage of a railroad
train;
3. A railroad train approaching within approximately one thousand five
hundred feet of the highway crossing emits a signal audible from such
distance and such railroad train, by reason of its speed or nearness to
such crossing, is an immediate hazard; or
4. An approaching railroad train is plainly visible and is in
hazardous proximity to such crossing.
5. Every person convicted of a violation of this subdivision shall for
a first conviction thereof be punished by a fine of not more than one
hundred fifty dollars or by imprisonment for not more than fifteen days
or by both such fine and imprisonment; for a conviction of a second
violation, both of which were committed within a period of eighteen
months, such person shall be punished by a fine of not more than five
hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than forty-five days or
by both such fine and imprisonment; upon a conviction of a third or
subsequent violation, all of which were committed within a period of
eighteen months, such person shall be punished by a fine of not more
than seven hundred fifty dollars or by imprisonment for not more than
ninety days or by both such fine and imprisonment.
NB Effective December 1, 2016
(b) No person shall drive any vehicle through, around, or under any
crossing gate or barrier at a railroad crossing while such gate or
barrier is closed or is being opened or closed. Every person convicted
of a violation of this subdivision shall for a first conviction thereof
be punished by a fine of not less than two hundred fifty dollars nor
more than four hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than
thirty days or by both such fine and imprisonment; for a conviction of a
second violation, both of which were committed within a period of
eighteen months, such person shall be punished by a fine of not less
than three hundred fifty dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or
by imprisonment for not more than ninety days or by both such fine and
imprisonment; upon a conviction of a third or subsequent violation, all
of which were committed within a period of eighteen months, such person
shall be punished by a fine of not less than six hundred dollars nor
more than seven hundred fifty dollars or by imprisonment for not more
than one hundred eighty days or by both such fine and imprisonment.
NB Effective Until December 1, 2016
(b) No person shall drive any vehicle through, around, or under any
crossing gate or barrier at a railroad crossing while such gate or
barrier is closed or is being opened or closed. Every person convicted
of a violation of this subdivision shall for a first conviction thereof
be punished by a fine of not less than two hundred fifty dollars nor
more than four hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than
thirty days or by both such fine and imprisonment; for a conviction of a
second violation, both of which were committed within a period of
thirty months, such person shall be punished by a fine of not less
than three hundred fifty dollars nor more than seven hundred fifty dollars or
by imprisonment for not more than ninety days or by both such fine and
imprisonment; upon a conviction of a third or subsequent violation, all
of which were committed within a period of thirty months, such person
shall be punished by a fine of not less than six hundred dollars nor
more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more
than one hundred eighty days or by both such fine and imprisonment.
NB Effective December 1, 2016
(c) 1. Any person convicted of a violation of this section while
driving any vehicle carrying passengers under eighteen years of age, any
bus carrying passengers, any school bus or any vehicle carrying
explosive substances or flammable liquids as a cargo or part of a cargo,
shall, upon conviction of a first offense, be guilty of a class A
misdemeanor, and shall, upon conviction of a second or subsequent
offense committed within five years of the prior offense, be guilty of a
class E felony.
2. Any person convicted of a violation of this section resulting in an
accident which causes physical injury, as that term is defined pursuant
to subdivision nine of section 10.00 of the penal law, serious physical
injury, as that term is defined pursuant to subdivision ten of section
10.00 of the penal law, or death to another person, shall be guilty of a
class E felony.
(d) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit
or limit the prosecution of any violation, crime or other offense
otherwise required or permitted by law.
§ 1171. Certain vehicles must stop at all railroad grade crossings.
(a) The driver of any bus carrying passengers, of any school bus, of any
motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of greater than ten
thousand pounds that transports division 2.3 chlorine or is a cargo
tank, whether loaded or empty, used to transport hazardous materials, as
defined in section five hundred one-a of this chapter, of any motor
vehicle required to be marked or placarded by either the United States
department of transportation or the New York state department of
transportation regulations or any vehicle carrying explosive substances
or flammable liquids as a cargo or part of a cargo, of any crawler-type
tractor, steam shovel, derrick, roller, or of any equipment or structure
having a normal operating speed of ten or less miles per hour or a
vertical body or load clearance of less than one-half inch per foot of
the distance between any two adjacent axles or in any event of less than
nine inches, measured above the level surface of a roadway, before
crossing at grade any track or tracks of a railroad, shall stop such
vehicle within fifty feet but not less than fifteen feet from the
nearest rail of such railroad and while so stopped shall listen and look
in both directions along such track for any approaching train, and for
signals indicating the approach of a train, except as hereinafter
provided, and shall not proceed until he can do so safely. After
stopping as required herein and upon proceeding when it is safe to do so
the driver of any said vehicle shall cross only in such gear of the
vehicle that there will be no necessity for changing gears while
traversing such crossing and the driver shall not shift gears while
crossing the track or tracks.
(b) No stop need be made at any such crossing where a police officer
or a traffic-control signal or sign directs traffic to proceed.
(c) Every motor vehicle used in commerce with a gross vehicle weight
rating of greater than ten thousand pounds not subject to the
requirements of subdivision (a) of this section: (i) shall upon
approaching a railroad grade crossing, be driven at a rate of speed
which will permit said motor vehicle to be stopped before reaching the
nearest rail of such crossing, and shall not be driven upon or over such
crossing until due caution has been taken to ascertain that the course
is clear; and (ii) shall stop at such crossing if the course is not
clear.
(d) In addition to the requirements of subdivisions (a) and (c) of
this section, the driver of a commercial vehicle must check
street-railway grade crossings within a business or residence district.
(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, every operator of a
commercial motor vehicle shall obey a traffic control device or the
directions of a police officer at a railroad grade crossing.
(f) Every person convicted of a violation of this section shall for a
first conviction thereof be punished by a fine of not more than one
hundred fifty dollars or by imprisonment for not more than fifteen days
or by both such fine and imprisonment; for a conviction of a second
violation, both of which were committed within a period of thirty
months, such person shall be punished by a fine of not more than five
hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than forty-five days or
by both such fine and imprisonment; upon a conviction of a third or
subsequent violation, all of which were committed within a period of
thirty months, such person shall be punished by a fine of not more than
seven hundred fifty dollars or by imprisonment for not more than ninety
days or by both such fine and imprisonment.
NB Effective December 1, 2016
§ 1685. All vehicles must stop or yield at certain railroad grade
crossings where a stop or yield sign is erected. The state
transportation commissioner, with respect to state highways, and local
authorities with respect to local streets within their jurisdiction,
with the approval of the state transportation commissioner are hereby
authorized to install a stop or yield sign at any highway-railroad
crossings within their respective jurisdictions.
The design and place and manner of installation of such signs shall
conform to the manual and specifications for a uniform system of traffic
control devices adopted by the state transportation commissioner.
Whenever any such crossing is so designated and a stop or yield sign
is installed, it shall be unlawful for the driver of any vehicle to fail
to stop or yield within fifty feet but not less than fifteen feet from
such railroad tracks before traversing such crossing. The failure to
erect, or the erection of, or failure to replace or maintain such signs
shall not be a basis for any action of negligence against a municipality
or the state nor a basis of a defense by a railroad in an action based
on negligence against a railroad.