What must a school bus driver do at every railroad crossing?

School buses must stop at every railroad crossing, generally between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail, even when no train is visible and there are no gates or lights. The driver opens the service door and the driver's window to look and listen carefully in both directions, because a train can be hard to see or hear through a closed bus. The bus crosses only after confirming no train is coming and that there is enough room to clear all tracks on the far side without stopping. The driver does not shift gears while on the tracks. These rules apply because a loaded bus caught on a crossing is catastrophic.