What should the driver do in this situation?

Explanation

He must stop completely before the sign and then, having satisfied himself that it is safe, cross the level crossing.

In the picture two elements are mounted together on one post: above, the red-and-white cross indicating a single-track unguarded level crossing, and below, the octagonal "ԿԱՆԳ/STOP". The STOP sign prohibits passing without stopping; that is, you must come to a complete standstill, not merely slow down and cross carefully. The stop must be made before the sign (or before the stop line, if one is marked), and only after satisfying yourself that no train is approaching may you move off. In the picture wagons are visible on the right, so the danger is not hypothetical.

The safety reason for this compulsory stop is something that cannot be made up for while moving: judging a train's distance and speed from inside a moving vehicle is highly error-prone, and engine noise masks the train's horn. A complete stop gives you a few seconds to turn your head, see both directions of the track and, if necessary, lower the window and listen. A train does not stop within a few hundred metres; the whole burden of safety is on you.

Worth memorising: the STOP sign has no soft version; "slowly and carefully" is not its equivalent.

• It sounds responsible and for that reason is a good trap, but "observing safety measures" does not replace the compulsory stop; the STOP sign requires a complete standstill. • Passing without stopping is the most explicit breach of the STOP sign and at an unguarded crossing can lead directly to a collision with a train.

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