Ch. 6 · Hazardous Areas

The area beyond the railroad crossing was a bit congested, but I judged that traffic would start moving soon, so I followed the vehicle in front and entered the crossing.

[True / False · Medium]

Answer: ✕ False

Explanation

The Rules of the Road state that when the area beyond the railroad crossing is congested and continuing forward would risk becoming immobilized within the crossing, you must not enter. Entering based on the subjective judgment that traffic will "start moving soon" is a violation.

Driving school curriculumStage 1 – Topic 6: Intersections and railroad crossings

Hikari
Hikari
Hmm, if traffic looks like it'll move soon, shouldn't it be okay to follow the car ahead?
Misaki
Misaki
No, that's false. You can't enter a crossing if there's any risk you'll get stuck inside, no matter how confident you are that traffic will clear.
Hikari
Hikari
So my own judgment doesn't matter here—it's about the actual situation beyond the crossing?
Misaki
Misaki
Precisely. Subjective guesses like 'it'll move soon' don't override the rule—never risk getting stranded on the tracks.

Source: Ch. 6 Hazardous Areas · Section (第1節 踏切 - 一時停止と安全確認) · Rules of the Road, Ch.6 §1 (Railroad crossings) — Stop at the stop position, open the window to confirm by sight and sound that no train is approaching, then cross in a gear you will not need to shift out of. Never enter when the alarm is ringing or the gate is closing.

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Source content excerpted from the NPA “Rules of the Road” instructional manual, in the public domain under Japanese Copyright Act Article 13(2). Explanations are AI-assisted and copyrighted by the MenkyoQuest editorial team.