Railroad Crossings and Rural Roads

Key points

1. Never stop on the railroad tracks; trains cannot stop quickly.

   Source: Handbook p. 12

   “Use extra caution at railroad crossings and never stop your vehicle on the railroad tracks. Trains cannot stop quickly.”
   Iowa Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 12

2. When stopped, leave at least 15 feet between your vehicle and the nearest rail.

   Source: Handbook p. 12

   “When stopped, leave at least 15 feet between the front and rear of your vehicle and the nearest rail.”
   Iowa Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 12

3. Drivers carrying passengers for hire and placarded hazmat vehicles, among others, must stop 15 to 50 feet from the tracks.

   Source: Handbook p. 12

   “carrying passengers for hire (such as Uber or Lyft), and all vehicles required to be placarded for hazardous materials, must stop within 15 to 50 feet of railroad tracks before crossing.”
   Iowa Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 12

4. If stalled with a train coming, get everyone out and move away at a 45 degree angle toward the train.

   Source: Handbook p. 12

   “Get everyone out of the car IMMEDIATELY, move away from the tracks at a 45-degree angle, in the direction of the approaching train”
   Iowa Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 12

5. Call the number on the blue ENS sign, or 911 if there is none.

   Source: Handbook p. 12

   “Call the number on the blue and white Emergency Notification System (ENS) sign. Share the crossing ID number with the dispatcher. • If there is no sign, call 911.”
   Iowa Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 12

6. Do not park closer than 50 feet from a railroad crossing.

   Source: Handbook p. 21

   “Closer than 50 feet from a railroad crossing.”
   Iowa Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 21

7. On gravel, slow down, avoid sudden turns and increase your following distance.

   Source: Handbook p. 55

   “Slow down, avoid sudden turning, accelerate and brake slowly, and increase your following distance.”
   Iowa Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 55

8. Use low beam headlights in extremely dusty conditions.

   Source: Handbook p. 55

   “Use low beam headlights to make your vehicle more visible to others during extremely dusty conditions”
   Iowa Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 55

Numbers to know

Recognize these signs

3 questions from the Iowa practice test

1. 1. How far from railroad tracks must a vehicle carrying placarded hazardous materials stop before crossing, unless an exception applies?

   1. At least 100 feet
   2. Exactly 5 feet
   3. Between 15 and 50 feet
   4. No stop is required when no train is visible
   Show answer

   Between 15 and 50 feet. A vehicle required to display hazardous-material placards must stop within the 15-to-50-foot range before crossing railroad tracks. The rule is a stopping distance range, not a five-foot or 100-foot requirement, and the absence of a visible train does not erase it. A police officer, highway traffic signal, or an EXEMPT sign can direct traffic to proceed without that stop. Check the vehicle's placard status and the crossing instructions before moving across.

2. 2. How close to a railroad crossing is parking prohibited in Iowa?

   1. Within 20 feet
   2. Within 5 feet
   3. Within 10 feet
   4. Within 50 feet
   Show answer

   Within 50 feet. Iowa prohibits parking closer than 50 feet from a railroad crossing. The shorter distances in the choices are easy to confuse with other parking restrictions in the same section, including the five-foot fire-hydrant rule and the ten-foot stop-sign rule. Twenty feet is also used for a fire-station entrance, not the crossing. Separate the locations before recalling the number: railroad crossing means 50 feet. This buffer protects sight lines and leaves room around tracks for trains and responding traffic.

3. 3. During extremely dusty conditions on a rural road, which lights should make the vehicle more visible?

   1. No lights until the dust clears
   2. High beams only
   3. Parking lights only
   4. Low-beam headlights
   Show answer

   Low-beam headlights. The manual directs drivers to use low-beam headlights during extremely dusty conditions so other road users can see the vehicle. High beams can worsen glare and are not the instruction given for this situation. Parking lights provide less useful visibility, and waiting for the dust to clear removes an important warning to approaching traffic. The light choice does not replace slower, alert driving. Reduce speed, expect limited sight distance, look for vehicles entering from the side, and keep enough space to stop if the dust hides a hazard.

Source: the Iowa Driver's Manual, Chapters 2 and 5: Railroad Crossings and Rural Roads. 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.