4-way stop Q (vehicle, left turn, engine, driver)

[riffwraith]

Hi all


So, AFAIK, in most- if not all - jurisdictions, it's whoever gets to the 4-way stop first, who has ROW.
Also, my understanding is that l turning traffic yields to r turning traffic.


Let's say I get to a 4-way stop, and am signaling that I am going to turn l. There is a car on the other side (facing me) who is not signaling; he is going straight. He arrives at the stop moments before I do; as I come to a stop, he is already proceeding into the intersection, and I have to wait for him to clear, before I can proceed. As he is about 1/2way into the intersection, another car stops at the stop across from me, and he is signaling r.


Who goes first?

[notnamed]

Whoever got there first so you. What turns are occurring only matter in a tie.

[JGMotorsport64]

You’re right on the rule, but in practice it makes no sense. Just follow the first in time rule that most people understand.

In my state the ROW deal is a myth. All traffic laws are designed such that one yields to the other, but even yielding requires you to avoid a collision.

[Quietude]

First rule applies, but defensive driving is called for. Assuming you've had your blinker on an appropriate time, pull forward - STRAIGHT - and make sure the opposing driver sees your intention and isn't going to move BEFORE you start the actual turn.

I have a terrible, terrible crossover intersection near my home (typical Colorado street engineering - lots of it, carefully planned, expensively executed, completely confusing clusterfork for every single driver) that combines heavy cross traffic between two shopping plazas with two uncontrolled left turns, past some extensive and ill-placed pedestrian medians. The above approach has to be used at a major league skill level, not only to avoid accidents but to keep from terminally snarling the traffic flow. If you make a mistake, there's nowhere for a stuck pair of cars to go.

[Soccernerd]

You would have a ROW. You should always be cautious because the other person will try to sneak through of course!

[johngolf]

Whoever arrives first has the right of way. When in doubt (such as both arrive at the same time), the car to your right has the right of way.

[ukrkoz]

You have the ROW in your described situation. First come first move.

[riffwraith]

[tickyul]

You were there first, so you have the right-of-way.

But remember, if an accident happens and there is a question of who is at fault, the person in the wrong just may lie and say............NO, I had the right-of-way, dangit, I arrived at the intersection at the same time as the vehicle that crashed into me!!!!!!!!!!