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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">The law clearly stipulates that the crossbuck means yield at a non-signalized crossing, but in that stipulation, it clearly excludes signalized crossings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the thread I cited earlier about the 4/2010 crash, forum member <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Falcon48</span> argued extensively that the yield requirement does not apply to crossbucks at signalized crossings because of the abovementioned stipulation that seems to exclude it from signalized crossings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I am not convinced that the law intends that meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The language in paragraph (d) may just be confining its focus to non-signalized crossings, rather than intending exclude signalized crossings.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><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 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">In paragraph (a), the law does describe the requirement to use due care and caution at grade crossings because a railroad crossing a highway is a warning of danger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This language would have to apply to any type of grade crossing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><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 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">But then at the end of that statement, it goes on to say:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The foregoing requirement shall apply when:” </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><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 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">And it goes on to list five conditions when the foregoing requirement shall apply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All five conditions are either that a train is approaching or that signals or a flagman are indicating stop or yield.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The one possibility that is not part of the five conditions would be if all indications were that the crossing is clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So does that mean than if a crossing is clear, a driver is not required to use due care, etc.?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If so, how could a driver know the crossing is clear without using due care etc. to find out if it is clear?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><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 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, the way I interpret the law is that a driver must do the following:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><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 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">1) At a non-signalized crossing, a driver must yield to the crossbuck. </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in;" class="MsoNormal"><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 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">2) At a signalized crossing, a driver must yield to the general hazard of a train because a railroad crosses the highway.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><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 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">I do not see any practical difference between the two.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><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 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">The FRA and Operation Lifesaver both say that a crossbuck means yield whether it is at a signalized or non-signalized crossing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><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 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, overall, I tend to conclude that a crossbuck means yield with both types of crossings.</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><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 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">But here is something else to consider:</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><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 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">Condition #4 of paragraph (a) says:</span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><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 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">“A approaching railroad train or railroad track equipment is plainly visible and is in hazardous proximity to such crossing.” </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><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 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"><span style="font-size: small;">Although the tank cars standing on the crossing when this crash occurred were not an “approaching railroad train,” one would think that they would qualify for this condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were certainly in “hazardous proximity” to the crossing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>HOWEVER, were the tank cars “<span style="text-decoration: underline;">plainly visible</span>” as condition #4 stipulates?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The FRA says that freight cars on crossings can be hard for drivers to see at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And two drivers did fail to see these tank cars, giving evidence that they were indeed hard to see.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><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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