What is the maximum speed limit at railway crossings?
3 Answers
When driving a motor vehicle through a railway crossing, the maximum speed must not exceed 30 kilometers per hour. According to the "Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" (hereinafter referred to as the "Road Law") and the "Regulations for the Implementation of the Road Traffic Safety Law", the following speed limits apply: When encountering any of the following situations, the maximum speed of a motor vehicle must not exceed 30 kilometers per hour, and for tractors, electric bicycles, and wheeled special-purpose machinery vehicles, the speed must not exceed 15 kilometers per hour: 1. When entering or exiting a non-motorized vehicle lane, passing through a railway crossing, sharp curves, narrow roads, or narrow bridges; 2. When making a U-turn, turning, or descending a steep slope; 3. When encountering fog, rain, snow, sandstorms, or hail with visibility less than 50 meters; 4. When driving on icy, snowy, or muddy roads; 5. When towing a malfunctioning motor vehicle.
Having driven for over a decade, veteran drivers all know that crossing railway crossings requires extra caution. According to regulations, the maximum speed should not exceed 30 kilometers per hour, and this number isn't arbitrarily set. Trains can pass by at any time on the tracks, and we motorists must yield to them. Every time I approach a crossing, I keep my foot on the brake, slowing down to around 20 km/h regardless of whether there's anyone around, scanning left and right multiple times to ensure safety before proceeding. Especially on rainy or snowy days, you need to go even slower. Last year, someone in the neighboring village was in a hurry and accelerated through a crossing, ending up colliding with a tricycle and flipping into a ditch—a lesson not to be forgotten.
The most dreaded part of transportation work is railway crossings, where speed limits are strictly enforced. Traffic regulations clearly state: when passing through an ungated crossing without traffic lights, the speed must not exceed 30 kilometers per hour. Trains have massive tonnage and strong momentum—our small vehicles simply can't dodge in time. I usually release the throttle 200 meters in advance and coast, only proceeding smoothly after confirming no movement on either side of the crossing. Never imitate those who accelerate when they see no train coming—last year on the Beijing-Shanghai line, a tragic accident occurred when an overspeeding truck collided with a locomotive, killing the driver instantly.
