§ 56-1-14 — Procedures at grade crossings.

Every locomotive shall be provided with a bell which shall be rung continuously from a point not less than 80 rods from any city or town street or public highway grade crossing until such city or town street or public highway grade crossing shall be crossed, but, except in towns and at terminal points, the sounding of the locomotive whistle or siren at least one-fourth of a mile before reaching any such grade crossing shall be deemed equivalent to ringing the bell as aforesaid; during the prevalence of fogs, snow and dust storms, the locomotive whistle shall be sounded before each street crossing while passing through cities and towns. All locomotives with or without trains before crossing the main track at grade of any other railroad must come to a full stop at a distance not exceeding 400 feet from the crossing, and must not proceed until the way is known to be clear; two blasts of the whistle or two sounds of the siren shall be sounded at the moment of starting; provided, that whenever interlocking signal apparatus and derailing switches or any other crossing protective device approved by the Department of Transportation is adopted such stop shall not be required. Provided, that local authorities in their respective jurisdiction may by ordinance approved by the Department of Transportation provide more restricted sounding of bells or whistles or sirens than is provided herein and may prescribe points different from those herein set forth at which such signals shall be given and may further restrict such ringing of bells or sounding of whistles or sirens so as to provide for either the ringing of a bell or the sounding of a whistle or of a siren or the elimination of the sounding of such bells or whistles or sirens or either of them, except in case of emergency. The term locomotive as used herein shall mean every self-propelled steam engine, electrically propelled interurban car and so-called diesel operated locomotive. Every person in charge of a locomotive violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a class B misdemeanor, and the railroad company shall be liable for all damages which any person may sustain by reason of such violation.

Legislative History

Amended by Chapter 148, 2018 General Session