Railroad crossings — Utah Permit Test

A Utah driver stopping at a railroad crossing must stop between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail.

Closer than fifteen and the train can reach you, further than fifty and you cannot see far enough down the track.

When you stop at a railroad crossing, you must be between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail.

A Utah driver may not park closer than 50 feet from a railroad crossing unless signs indicate they may or local law allows it.

A parked car near the tracks blocks the view of anybody approaching, at the one place it matters most.

Do not park closer than 50 feet from a railroad crossing unless signs indicate that you may or it is allowed by local law.

Where lights are flashing at a Utah railroad crossing a driver must come to a complete stop and may not proceed while the lights are flashing.

The lights mean a train is on its way whether or not you can see one, and trains arrive faster than they look.

If lights are flashing, you must come to a complete stop. You may not proceed while the lights are flashing.

A driver who suspects Utah crossing lights are faulty may cross only after a complete stop, with a clear line of sight of at least one mile down the tracks in both directions and no sign of a train.

One mile in both directions is the whole condition. Anything less and you are guessing about a train you cannot see.

you may drive through the railroad crossing only if you have a clear line of sight of at least one mile down the tracks in both directions, there is not evidence of an approaching train, and you can cross the tracks safely

A Utah driver may not drive through, around, or under any crossing gate or barrier while it is down or being opened or closed.

Gates come down before a train and go up after it. Going around one is betting your life on the timetable.

You may not drive through, around, or under any crossing gate or barrier at a railroad crossing while they are down or being opened or closed.

A Utah driver may never pass a car going the same direction at a railroad crossing.

Passing at a crossing puts you on the tracks beside another car with nowhere to go.

Never pass a car that is going your direction at a railroad crossing.

A Utah driver should turn down the car radio at a railroad crossing, because trains sound their horns as they approach.

The horn is the warning that works when the lights do not, and a loud radio is what stops you hearing it.

Trains sound their horns as they approach a crossing; therefore, turning down the car radio is a good safety measure.

How far from the nearest rail must a Utah driver stop?

Between 15 and 50 feet. Closer than fifteen and the train can reach you, further than fifty and you cannot see far enough down the track. Utah Driver Handbook 2026-2027, p.86: “When you stop at a railroad crossing, you must be between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail.”