(1) The driver of any motor vehicle carrying passengers for hire, excluding taxicabs, of any school bus carrying any school child, or of any vehicle carrying explosive substances or flammable liquids as a cargo or part of a cargo, before crossing at grade any track or tracks of a railroad, shall stop such vehicle within 50 feet but not less than 15 feet from the nearest rail of the railroad and, while so stopped, shall listen and look in both directions along the track for any approaching train, and for signals indicating the approach of a train, except as hereinafter provided, and shall not proceed until he or she can do so safely. After stopping as required herein and upon proceeding when it is safe to do so, the driver of any such vehicle shall cross only in a gear of the vehicle so that there will be no necessity for changing gears while traversing the crossing, and the driver shall not shift gears while crossing the track or tracks.
(2) No stop need be made at any such crossing where a police officer, a traffic control signal, or a sign directs traffic to proceed. However, any school bus carrying any school child shall be required to stop unless directed to proceed by a police officer.
(3) The driver of any commercial motor vehicle that is not required to stop under subsection (1) or subsection (2) shall slow the motor vehicle before crossing the tracks of any railroad grade crossing and check that the tracks are clear of an approaching train.
(4) A violation of this section is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a moving violation as provided in chapter 318.
