A. Look left and right up the tracks
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A. Look left and right up the tracks
B. Check there's room for your vehicle on the other side of the crossing
C. Make sure there are no barriers or red flashing lights
D. Check there's a speed limit sign on the other side of the crossing
If there are stop signs at the crossing it's an indication that you can't see far enough up the track to make a judgement about whether to cross before you get there, and it's a compulsory stop (i.e. it's against the law not to stop). There are thousands of near misses each year with vehicles and pedestrians trying to get across tracks before the train comes. Because a train is huge, it's estimated that people's perception of its speed is 10-20kph less than its actual speed. This means the train can be bearing down on you much more rapidly than you thought.
There must be room the other side of the tracks for your vehicle. It's particularly important if you are driving a long vehicle or towing a trailer because you might think you have cleared the crossing, but if your trailer is still in the way of the train the train won't be able to stop. It takes a train up to one kilometre to stop.
If there are barrier arms down and lights flashing then you must wait until the lights have stopped flashing and the barrier arms go up before you continue.
For more on railway crossing rules, regulations and signage, read this article.