If you are carrying placarded Class 7 (RADIOACTIVE) material, must you stop at railroad crossings?

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Only if the crossing is active
• D. Only at night

Answer: (A)

When you’re transporting placarded radioactive material, you must stop at railroad crossings. This safety rule exists because trains can be hard to judge for distance and speed, and a collision with a train can be catastrophic. So you come to a full stop before the crossing, then look both ways, listen for any approaching trains, and only proceed when it is clearly safe to do so. This precaution applies to all hazmat shipments to reduce the risk of serious harm from a crossing incident.