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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">zugmann, </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">Those sources are not <i>studies</i>, as you call them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>One of them is the Railroad-Highway Grade Crossing Handbook published by the USDOT Federal Highway Administration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Both sources go into much more detail than the state statutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I don’t see this matter detailed in the statutes, but there are other details not covered in the statutes as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">      </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">Both of the sources I cited define the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">approach zone</span> in terms of beginning at a specific location with formulas for determining that specific location based on speed and stopping distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Neither those sources nor the statutes say anything about that location being the location where the flashing lights first become visible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>And moreover, that location where the lights first become visible will vary from one person to another, so it cannot be specific.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>In any case, the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">approach zone</span> provides enough distance to formulate a plan of action, and the following <span style="text-decoration: underline;">non-recovery zone</span> provides enough distance to stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">The sources say that the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">approach zone</span> is where the driver first learns of a grade crossing ahead by virtue of the advance warning sign that marks the beginning of the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">approach zone</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The driver is then supposed to act upon that information by looking for trains or crossing warnings, and make a decision before entering the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">non-recovery zone</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">        </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p>
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