What should you do first if your vehicle has broken down on an automatic railway level crossing?
- A Get everyone out of the vehicle and clear of the crossing
- B Telephone your vehicle recovery service to move it
- C Walk along the track to give warning to any approaching trains
- D Try to push the vehicle clear of the crossing as soon as possible
Why this is the answer
First, get yourself and anyone else well away from the crossing. If there’s a railway telephone, use that to get instructions from the signal operator. Then, if there’s time, move the vehicle clear of the crossing.
Why the other answers don't fit
- B
- Telephone your vehicle recovery service to move it — Recovery takes far longer than the next train will.
- C
- Walk along the track to give warning to any approaching trains — A train cannot stop in time, and you would be on the line when it arrives.
- D
- Try to push the vehicle clear of the crossing as soon as possible — People come first. Move the vehicle only if there is time afterwards.
Where this comes from
- Driving: the essential skills — section 6
- The Highway Code — rule 299
- Know Your Traffic Signs — page 30
Rule numbers link to The Highway Code on gov.uk.
Where this question comes from
The question, its options and the explanation are reproduced word for word from the DVSA revision question bank under licence. The licence requires them to appear unaltered, so we cannot reword them and neither can anyone else — that is why you will meet the same wording on other sites. Everything else on this page is written by Theory Hub: the explanation of why each wrong answer is wrong, the topic guide and the revision notes.
Asked in: Car
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