§ 1072. Certain vehicles must stop

(a)(1) Before crossing at grade any track or tracks of a railroad, the drivers of the following vehicles shall stop within 50 feet, but not less than 15 feet, from the nearest rail of the railroad, and while so stopped shall look and listen in both directions along the track for any approaching train and for signals indicating the approach of a train, and shall not proceed until he or she can do so safely:

(A) any motor vehicle carrying passengers for hire except for jitneys designed to carry not more than seven passengers including the driver;

(B) any school bus or multifunction school activity bus; and

(C) any vehicle carrying explosive substances or flammable liquids as cargo or part of its cargo.

(2) After stopping as required in this subsection and upon proceeding when it is safe to do so, the driver of any such vehicle shall cross so that there will be no necessity for changing gears while traversing the crossing, and the driver shall not shift gears while crossing the track or tracks.

(b) No stop need be made at any crossing where an attendant, an enforcement officer, or a traffic-control signal directs traffic to proceed.

(c) The driver of a Type I school bus stopping as required under subsection (a) of this section shall open the door of the bus before crossing the railroad tracks. Drivers of Type II school buses shall open the left front window.

(d) Except when required by section 1071 of this title, stopping is not required at a crossing that has been signed as "exempt" in accordance with a designation of the Transportation Board. (Added 1971, No. 258 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 1, 1973; amended 1979, No. 39, § 1; 1983, No. 49, eff. April 21, 1983; 1985, No. 2; 1985, No. 268 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1991, No. 49, § 2, eff. June 4, 1991; 1997, No. 32, § 2; 2015, No. 50, § 8; 2017, No. 132 (Adj. Sess.), § 12.)