Question

Difficulty: HardPublic Transit Buses and Light Rail Vehicles

You are driving on a city street alongside a light rail line running in the median. You plan to turn left across the light rail tracks at an upcoming intersection and notice a light rail vehicle approaching from behind in the same direction. Traffic across the tracks is moving slowly. Which of the following actions is legally required before you execute your turn?

  1. A
    Accelerate into the intersection and complete the turn ahead of the light rail vehicle, assuming rail vehicles must yield to turning road traffic on a green light.
  2. Yield right-of-way to the light rail vehicle and wait to cross until traffic has cleared enough for your vehicle to cross the tracks entirely without stopping on them.Answer
  3. C
    Come to a full mandatory stop at the track crossing even when the signal is green, no train is approaching, and traffic ahead is entirely clear.
  4. D
    Overtake the vehicle ahead of you within 100 feet of the track intersection to complete the turn before the train arrives.

Answer

Yield right-of-way to the light rail vehicle and wait to cross until traffic has cleared enough for your vehicle to cross the tracks entirely without stopping on them.
When turning across light rail tracks, drivers must yield the right-of-way to any approaching light rail vehicle because trains cannot stop quickly or swerve. Additionally, drivers must ensure there is sufficient space on the opposite side of the tracks to clear them completely without stopping on the rails.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify right-of-way rules for light rail vehicles
Recognize that light rail vehicles have right-of-way over motor vehicles and cannot yield or stop quickly.
Light rail trains operate on fixed tracks and require longer stopping distances.
2
Evaluate track crossing space
Check if traffic on the far side of the tracks has moved far enough to accommodate your entire vehicle.
It is illegal and unsafe to stop a vehicle on light rail tracks at any time.
3
Execute the turn safely
Yield to the approaching train, wait for space to open on the destination side, then complete the turn cleanly across the tracks.
Ensures full compliance with traffic laws and prevents collisions with light rail vehicles.

Key Concept

Sharing the road with light rail vehicles requires yielding right-of-way to trains and never stopping on tracks.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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