56-1-14 - Procedures at grade crossings.
56-1-14. Procedures at grade crossings.
Every locomotive shall be provided with a bell which shall be rung continuously from apoint not less than 80 rods from any city or town street or public highway grade crossing untilsuch city or town street or public highway grade crossing shall be crossed, but, except in townsand at terminal points, the sounding of the locomotive whistle or siren at least one-fourth of amile before reaching any such grade crossing shall be deemed equivalent to ringing the bell asaforesaid; during the prevalence of fogs, snow and dust storms, the locomotive whistle shall besounded before each street crossing while passing through cities and towns. All locomotives withor without trains before crossing the main track at grade of any other railroad must come to a fullstop at a distance not exceeding 400 feet from the crossing, and must not proceed until the way isknown to be clear; two blasts of the whistle or two sounds of the siren shall be sounded at themoment of starting; provided, that whenever interlocking signal apparatus and derailing switchesor any other crossing protective device approved by the Department of Transportation is adoptedsuch stop shall not be required.
Provided, that local authorities in their respective jurisdiction may by ordinance approvedby the Department of Transportation provide more restricted sounding of bells or whistles orsirens than is provided herein and may prescribe points different from those herein set forth atwhich such signals shall be given and may further restrict such ringing of bells or sounding ofwhistles or sirens so as to provide for either the ringing of a bell or the sounding of a whistle orof 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 ofa misdemeanor, and the railroad company shall be liable for all damages which any person maysustain by reason of such violation.
Amended by Chapter 9, 1975 Special Session 1