Driving Lessons Colchester Tips: Driving Over a Level Crossing

Driving over a level crossing has been dangerous especially to the learner drivers who are still inexperienced what this place is all about. This article intends to provide you with the essential information and tips how and when to drive safely over this area. Here are the useful Driving Lessons Colchester tips;

First, you have to know what a level crossing is all about. It is where a railroad crosses a road intended for vehicular traffic. Trains are passing over the level crossing at high speed. This means that when road fatalities occur at this area, the accidents are more often serious.

Most level crossings are utilising a sound alarm for pedestrians, traffic lights for the vehicles with light that goes steady and is amber in colour and the two flashing red stoplights.

So, you must always approach a level crossing with extra caution. You should never rush and take risks. Don’t ever think that you can jump the barriers easily and make it safely to the other side of the railway. You should only drive to a level crossing if and when the exit on the other side is already clear.

These are the things that you must avoid doing at any level crossing:

(1.)  Drive “nose to tail” over the level crossing.

(2.)  Stop on or just after the level crossing.

(3.)  Park close to the level crossing.

(4.)  Start crossing even if the alarm, lights or barriers operate to nearly close the exit.

(5.)  Zigzag around the half-barrier crossing.

The following are the different types of level crossings:

(1.)  Full-Barrier Level Crossing

(2.)  Half-Barrier Level Crossing

(3.)  User-Operated Level Crossing

(4.)  Open Level Crossing

(1.) The Full-Barrier Level Crossing has two barriers located on each side of the crossing extending over both lanes.

(2.) The Half-Barrier Level Crossing has barrier on each side of the crossing that extends over only one lane. And some of them will have no barrier.

(3.) User-Operated Level Crossing has stop signs and small green and red lights. When the green light is on is the only time you must cross. When the red light is on, you must stop and then wait. When crossing, you need to exit from your car and then open the barriers or gates on both sides of the level crossing.

(4.) Open Level Crossings has no gates, barriers, lights or attendant. There’s a give-way sign however. Approach this crossing with extra caution. Then stop, listen and look on both ways and make sure that there’s no approaching train.

Before driving over any level crossing, check to make sure the green light is still on. Once over the crossing you should exit your car and close the gates or barriers if it’s user-operated.

The amber light will be on when a train is approaching the level crossing. Then the flashing of red stoplights follows. If the amber light is on after you’ve passed the stop line, then you must continue to go forward. But you should stop and wait for the stop light to go off and the barriers to rise if you haven’t past the stop line yet.

Turn your engine off since you’ll be waiting for a few minutes. If a train has already passed by but the alarm is sounding a different tone and the stop lights continue to flash, then another train is approaching, so you must continue to wait.