TERRACE RCMP have clarified regulations pertaining to vehicles crossing railway tracks following a safety campaign officers undertook with CN police in the last several weeks.
Officers did issue 31 tickets to people and this took place at the Substation Road/Queensway Drive intersection in Thornhill.
“This railway crossing has a stop sign, therefore vehicles have to stop and look both ways before proceeding safely,” said police in a release.
“Vehicles must stop at railway crossings for four circumstances: a stop sign, lights and/or gates, a railway train is approaching and is within approximately 500 m of a crossing or by reason of its speed or nearness to the crossing is an immediate hazard and emits an audible signal or is visible, and last if there is a conductor in the crossing directing you to stop,” the release continued.
Generally speaking, vehicles do not have to stop at uncontrolled crossings, but there are exceptions.
Those exceptions are “a bus carrying passengers for compensation, school buses carrying a child, a vehicle carrying explosive substances or any poisonous or flammable substance as cargo, or a vehicle used to carry flammable liquids or gas, whether or not it is then empty,” the RCMP continued.
And Constable Angela Rabut of the local RCMP detachment said any driver of any vehicle should caution.
“If a railroad crossing is uncontrolled, there is no requirement by law to stop for the regular driver.
“Since this is a railroad crossing, it is a good idea to slow down, look both ways, and then proceed when safe to do so,” she said.