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Stop signs or flashing lights at railway crossings should always be obeyed, because: Stop signs or flashing lights at railway crossings should always be obeyed, because:

  • A. Trains are fast, heavy and cannot stop quickly.

  • B. Pedestrians might be crossing.

  • C. Car brakes often fail.

  •  
    The correct answer is A
     
    Correct. A train cannot stop quickly (it can take several hundred metres), and it cannot deviate from the tracks, therefore it might not be able to avoid your vehicle if it is on the tracks.
     
 
 
 
 

Red lights at railway crossings

A red light always means stop.

This video shows the lights coming on and barrier arms going down at Warnervale level crossing.

You can see how fast the Sydney train passes through the crossing. Bear in mind that force is transmitted based on an object's weight. As the train is many times heavier than a car, motorbike and even a large truck, the vehicle will be propelled away from the train with a lot of force.

A train travelling at this speed, and of this size, could take half a kilometre or more to stop, and trains cannot swerve out of the way. Every year, every train driver has multiple near misses with vehicles and pedestrians trying to cross the lines when lights and sirens are on and the barrier arms are down.

This video from 2007 is a NSW pedestrian crossing safety notice.

If a train passes and the lights continue to flash and the barrier arms stay down it could be because another train is coming. Wait until the lights go off and the barrier arms are raised.