(a) The operator of any motor vehicle carrying passengers for hire, of any school bus, or of any vehicle carrying explosives or flammable liquids as a cargo or as such part of a cargo as to constitute a hazard, before crossing at grade any track of a railroad, shall stop the vehicle and, while so stopped, shall listen through an open door or open window and look in both directions along the track for any approaching train, and for signals indicating the approach of a train, and shall proceed only upon exercising due care after stopping, looking and listening as required by this section. Upon proceeding, the operator of such a vehicle shall cross only in a gear that will ensure that there will be no necessity for changing gears while traversing the crossing and shall not shift gears while crossing the tracks.
This subsection (a) does not apply at any of the following:
(1) Street railway grade crossings, or to abandoned tracks, spur tracks, side tracks and industrial tracks when the Ohio Public Utilities Commission has authorized and approved the crossing of the tracks without making the stop required by this subsection (a).
(2) Through June 30, 1995, a street railway grade crossing where out-of- service signs are posted in accordance with Ohio R.C. 4955.37.
(ORC 4511.63)
(b) When authorized signs are erected at railroad grade crossings, the operator of any vehicle shall stop within fifty, but not less than fifteen, feet from the nearest rail of the railroad tracks and shall exercise due care before proceeding across such grade crossing. (ORC 4511.61)