Traffic law question (vs reality)

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Originally Posted By: Srt20
If I get there first, no matter how I'm proceeding, I go first.
If I get there second, no matter how I'm proceeding, I usually go first.

Just the way it is because so many people get confused on who is supposed to go. I say screw it and just go. If they are confused, and start to roll the same time as me, they always stop, because I don't.

I don't try to be a hinder, but I'm not one to fiddle f**k around.


How very thoughtful a commuter you are. Who cares about right of way? I'm selfish and I'm going, get out of my way!!
 
Originally Posted By: Nate1979
He who arrives first. Always.


Always. I don't understand all of the discussion, and I live in a small town with lots of four way stops talk.
 
We were taught if two arrive at the same time in your scenario, facing one another, the car going straight has right of way over the car turning.

That's if you arrive at the same time. If one arrives before the other, obviously you go in order of arrival.


Originally Posted By: bubbatime
When you say highway, that kind of confuses things as most highways don't have stop signs.

Now if you are talking a 4 way stop, the first car to the stop sign has right of way. If two cars get to the stop sign at the same time, the car on the right goes first. If two cars facing each other get there at the same time, I don't think there is a legally defined right of way.
 
The problem is that it doesn't matter who has the right of way because you have to drive assuming the other person doesn't know what they are doing and is not paying attention, which is very likely the case. I stopped at a 4-way on my motorcycle and decided to wait to see what a pickup was going to do that was slowly rolling up to the intersection--he never even paused, just rolled on through at about 5mph. Half way across he suddenly looked up from his smartphone, swiveled his head around in all directions, promptly returned to doing something on his phone and rolled on down the road at 5mph ignoring everything and everyone.
 
Originally Posted By: bvance554
Originally Posted By: Nate1979
He who arrives first. Always.


Always. I don't understand all of the discussion, and I live in a small town with lots of four way stops talk.


Yeah, that's how it's supposed to work.

And when I lived in Stowe, with its one stop sign in the center of town, that's how it usually worked....

Until the d-bag tourists showed up with an attitude like this:

Originally Posted By: Srt20
If I get there first, no matter how I'm proceeding, I go first.
If I get there second, no matter how I'm proceeding, I usually go first.

Just the way it is because so many people get confused on who is supposed to go. I say screw it and just go. If they are confused, and start to roll the same time as me, they always stop, because I don't.

I don't try to be a hinder, but I'm not one to fiddle f**k around.


If you drive like that...you're actually a complete hinder...
 
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We have a 4-way intersection within the city limits that is very awkwardly laid out. One road comes in at an angle. Still, visibility is 100%, there are four stop signs, and with a tiny bit of commonsense and courtesy there is no reason everyone can't go through safely. Yet, there are constant accidents there because people do not use commonsense or courtesy. Someone is always rolling through one of the stops, while someone else is ignoring who has right of way, while a third is texting, and the fourth is poking at his GPS. I frequently have to yield there for someone barging out who should be waiting. Basic rule--do what it takes to keep yourself safe, and don't expect anyone else to do the logical thing.
 
If the cars get there at the exact same time, the car going straight has the ROW, then the left turn.

If the cars arrive at different times, then the one that arrived first goes first.

And I despise folks who sit and wait for everyone else to go. You got there first, you go first. Been in too many near accidents with folks who think that waiting everyone else out is the right answer and it just messes the flow up...
 
Our community is installing roundabouts at many 4 way stops. They are more efficient and resolve most of the confusion present at a 4 way stop.
 
On a side street (not a four-way stop), a car stopped at a stop sign has to yield to everything going on in the main road before proceeding. So if you clearly were the one to go first and occupy the main road while he's still stopped, he has to wait for you to complete your left turn.
 
Quote:
Our community is installing roundabouts at many 4 way stops. They are more efficient and resolve most of the confusion present at a 4 way stop.

There is a town near here that has done that and I love them! But, their experience has been an increase in accidents including a recent head-on collision when someone went the wrong way around. I know that all the statistics show they are safer, but I notice that many people are confused when they get there and do the wrong thing like stop when they are in the circle or not yield when they are entering.
 
There are the ones who figure at a 4-way stop, if the car ahead of them goes, they follow them because after all, they already stopped, so they have the right of way.
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That made for an enormous free-for-all at the intersection of two major roads when the traffic lights went out. Thankfully, people remembered to stop, but you would see 2-3 cars going at once - and stopping multiple times because nobody could figure it out.
 
Roundabouts are a tradeoff of sorts. In our case, we use them at intersections with a history of high severity crashes, including deaths. In the end, we trade off a number of high severity accidents for a higher number of fender bender and nuisance type accidents. In terms of life safety, this is a good tradeoff. When properly designed, they force you to slow down, not see the traffic across or to the right of you when entering, and only see the traffic in the roundabout and to the left - your only decision point when entering.

And as an engineer, if everyone would look at a roundabout logically, they make perfect sense. The problem is people are not all logical, and then add in the trying to talk on the cell phone while changing the radio station and eating something, and oh, maybe I should drive too mentality and the results become interesting.
 
Over here, the vehicle going straight goes first. If you turn, you loose your right of way (turning happens after the stop sign).

If you want to turn right, and a vehicle opposite you wants to turn left (into the same road) the vehicle turning right has the right of way....

Stuff to be aware off when renting a vehicle abroad....
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
Just wait him out. it's not worth the trouble. It's safer to never assume the right of way. If someone waves you ahead don't make eye contact. Do nothing. If you collide he will not say it was his fault because he waved you ahead. Only proceed when there is no doubt about what you and the other party(s) and expecting.


I DESPISE this! If you get to the stop sign before me, you better follow the rules of the road and proceed ahead of me. You have the right away. You can waive me on, flash your headlights, or get mad, I don't care. I will literally put my car in park and stare at you for 10 minutes if you have the right away and refuse to follow the rules of the road. In fact I had one of these idiots that refused to proceed the other day. I stared at her for at least 45 seconds before she pulled her head out of her rear and proceeded. She keeps waving me on and flashing her headlights like the dumb little sheep she was.

Rant off.


This was my answer to the question of doubt at an intersection. If there's no doubt then everyone takes their turn. if there's doubt or someone tries to give you the right of way when you might not have it then don't move.
 
that's the pickle isn't it?

what if there's a fender bender and both parties claimed to have arrived and stopped first? no witnesses...

Poor rule, imo...
 
What about yield to the vehicle to your right at 4-way stops? Have lots of those in my area. Lots of confusion too.
 
Originally Posted By: Jetronic
Over here, the vehicle going straight goes first. If you turn, you loose your right of way (turning happens after the stop sign).


Same in Australia. The "whoever got here first has right of way" thing seems fraught with danger to me!
 
Originally Posted By: hpb
Originally Posted By: Jetronic
Over here, the vehicle going straight goes first. If you turn, you loose your right of way (turning happens after the stop sign).


Same in Australia. The "whoever got here first has right of way" thing seems fraught with danger to me!



No, it's fraught with common sense. First in, first out. Really simple.
 
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