Turns, lanes, passing and parking
On a two-way road, you are about 80 feet from a railroad crossing and a slow truck is in front of you. May you pass it on the left?
- No. You may not pass within 100 feet of a railroad crossing on a two-way road. Correct answer
- Yes, if you can see that no train is coming.
- Yes, because the limit near railroad crossings is 50 feet.
Why
Among the situations where passing on the left is forbidden, the manual lists being within 100 feet of a railroad crossing on a two-way roadway. At 80 feet you are inside that zone, so you stay behind the truck. Seeing no train does not lift the ban; the rule is set by distance, not by what you can see. The 50-foot figure is real but belongs to parking, not passing: you may not park within 50 feet of a railroad crossing. The same 100-foot distance shows up for bridges, tunnels and viaducts on a two-way road when your view is obstructed. Within 100 feet of the tracks on a two-way road, the truck stays ahead of you.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is No. You may not pass within 100 feet of a railroad crossing on a two-way road.
More on turns, lanes, passing and parking
- On a two-lane, two-way road, the vehicle ahead of you slows down and signals to turn left. May you pass it on the right?
- You are passing a slow vehicle on a road with a 55 mph limit, and to finish quickly you would need to reach 62 mph. What does the manual say?
- You park on a hill next to a curb. Besides setting the parking brake and putting the transmission in Park, how should you turn your front wheels?
- You stop to pick someone up and want to wait at the curb 10 feet from a fire hydrant. Under state rules, when is that allowed?