Warning and Railroad Crossing Signs

Key points

1. Yellow warning signs tell you to slow down and be ready to stop, or warn of a special situation or hazard ahead.

   Source: Handbook p. 27

   “These signs warn a driver to slow down and be prepared to stop, if necessary, or provide information about a special situation or a hazard”
   Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Handbook p. 27

2. The round yellow advance warning sign means slow down, look and listen, and be ready to stop.

   Source: Handbook p. 28

   “The Advance Warning sign tells you to slow down, look and listen for the train, and be prepared to stop at the tracks if a train is coming.”
   Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Handbook p. 28

3. The crossbuck marks the crossing and requires you to yield to the train.

   Source: Handbook p. 28

   “This sign marks the grade crossing and requires you to yield the right-of-way to the train.”
   Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Handbook p. 28

4. When crossing lights flash, a train is present; do not cross even if no train appears.

   Source: Handbook p. 29

   “When the red lights are flashing, a train is present. Even if the red lights continue to flash and no train appears, do not cross.”
   Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Handbook p. 29

5. If the gates start down as you begin to cross, keep going.

   Source: Handbook p. 29

   “If the gates begin to come down as you begin to cross, keep going even if it means you will break the gate.”
   Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Handbook p. 29

6. A number under the crossbuck shows how many tracks there are.

   Source: Handbook p. 30

   “there is a sign beneath the cross buck with a number indicating how many tracks are present.”
   Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Handbook p. 30

7. An EXEMPT sign means the crossing is abandoned or no longer used.

   Source: Handbook p. 29

   “An EXEMPT sign means that the crossing has been abandoned or its use discontinued.”
   Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Handbook p. 29

8. Never park or stop on railroad tracks.

   Source: Handbook p. 30

   “Never Park or stop on railroad tracks.”
   Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Handbook p. 30

Recognize these signs

3 questions from the Arkansas practice test

1. 1. What do Arkansas warning signs tell a driver to do?

   
   1. Increase speed before reaching the sign
   2. Slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary
   3. Ignore the roadway condition unless a signal is present
   4. Stop immediately at every warning sign
   Show answer

   Slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary. Warning signs give advance information about a hazard or special situation along the road ahead. They tell drivers to slow down and be prepared to stop when necessary, rather than ordering an automatic stop every time. Increasing speed reduces the time available to respond, and a warning remains important even when no traffic signal is nearby. Use the yellow sign as an early cue to scan the roadway, adjust speed, and prepare for the condition shown by its symbol.

2. 2. At a railroad crossing, what does the white X-shaped crossbuck require?

   
   1. Speed up so the vehicle clears the rails first
   2. Stop only when the crossing gate is fully raised
   3. Yield the right of way to the train
   4. Treat the tracks as a passing zone
   Show answer

   Yield the right of way to the train. A crossbuck marks the grade crossing and requires yielding the right of way to the train. Look and listen, obey any lights or gates, and never assume a vehicle can outrun an approaching train. Waiting only for a raised gate misses the crossbuck’s independent yield instruction. Speeding up creates a dangerous conflict, and railroad tracks are not a passing permission. The white X is the visual cue to give the train priority before entering the crossing.

3. 3. Where is a round black-on-yellow railroad warning sign placed?

   1. Only beside a railroad station platform
   2. Inside the crossing after the tracks begin
   3. Ahead of a public highway-rail intersection
   4. At the end of a highway-rail intersection
   Show answer

   Ahead of a public highway-rail intersection. The round black-on-yellow railroad warning sign is positioned in advance of a public highway-rail intersection. Its location gives the driver time to reduce speed, search for a train, listen, and prepare to stop at the tracks. The choice placing it inside the crossing defeats the advance-warning purpose. A station platform is not the defining location, and placing the sign at the end of the crossing gives the warning too late. When this circular sign appears, begin the observation and speed adjustment before reaching the rails.

Source: the Arkansas Driver License Study Guide, Chapter 2: Roadway and Railroad Crossing Signs. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.