20.19. What must the driver make sure of when approaching any railway crossing?
UAУ чому повинен переконатися водій при під'їзді до будь-якого залізничного переїзду?
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This exam question from the Traffic Rules of Ukraine checks a basic safety principle when crossing railway tracks: the driver must act with maximum caution, since a train has unconditional priority and its braking distance is much longer than that of any car. Such high-risk situations are often included in the theoretical exam, where the decisive factor is not the formal observation of signs, but the driver's personal assessment of danger.
In terms of content, this question belongs to the section of the Traffic Rules regarding movement through railway crossings, specifically to the requirements of clause 20.2 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine. The regulation obliges the driver, when approaching a crossing or starting to move after stopping, to be guided by the signals of the attendant, the position of the barrier, light and sound signals, road signs and markings, and additionally to make sure that railway transport is not approaching. It is precisely this check for the presence of a train (locomotive, railcar) that is the key condition for safe passage.
Other answer options only partially describe possible elements of traffic organization before the crossing, but do not reflect the main duty of the driver. The presence of a stop line or a sign prohibiting passage without stopping may exist, but this is not a universal requirement for every crossing and is not a guarantee of safety. In practice, situations are possible when the signaling is already operating but the train is not yet visible, or the barrier has risen but movement is still prohibited — therefore, the traffic rules require not to rush and to visually make sure each time that no train is approaching.
Clause 20.2
"When approaching a railway crossing, as well as when starting to move after stopping in front of it, the driver must follow the instructions and signals of the crossing attendant, the position of the barrier, light and sound signals, road signs and road markings, and also make sure that a train (locomotive, railcar) is not approaching."
That is, the correct answer is "To make sure that a train (locomotive, railcar) is not approaching," given that according to the definition in the Traffic Rules, clause 20.2 directly obliges the driver, when approaching a railway crossing, to make sure that no train (locomotive, railcar) is approaching.
When approaching any railway crossing, the driver must act as if there is a high-risk area ahead, where a mistake can have serious consequences. Therefore, the Traffic Rules require not only to pay attention to technical means of traffic management, but also to personally assess whether there is any danger from railway transport.
Clause 20.2 of the Traffic Rules of Ukraine states that the driver, when approaching a crossing and starting to move after stopping in front of it, must be guided by the signals of the crossing attendant, the position of the barrier, light and sound signals, as well as signs and markings. But even with all these indications, the driver is additionally obliged to make sure that a train is not approaching the crossing.
This rule is important in practice, because there are moments when prohibitory signals may already be operating, but the train itself is not yet visible, or the wait after stopping may last longer. Likewise, you should not automatically start moving just because the barrier has lifted: the situation must be checked visually and you must make sure that nothing is approaching on the tracks, because the main safety criterion here is precisely the absence of a train (locomotive, railcar), which has the right of way and cannot stop instantly.
Therefore, the correct answer is "To make sure that a train (locomotive, railcar) is not approaching," since clause 20.2 of the Traffic Rules directly obliges the driver, when approaching a crossing (and when starting to move after stopping), to additionally check for the absence of approaching railway transport.