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The question isn't who should go first, the question is who legally has right of way. Sometimes it may be wise to yield despite having right of way, but this strategy can also cause accidents by adding confusion to the situation.
It is funny how different people are interpreting the driver's manual differently. The section that ErrntTryAgain referenced and tabbcat excerpted is the only part of the manual applicable here.
The first two bullets and the first two diagrams go together:
Quote:
Originally Posted by tabbcat
the vehicle already in the intersection has the right–of–way ahead of any car that has not yet entered;
when two or more vehicles reach an intersectionat the same time, the car to the right has the right-of-way;
1) The first car at the intersection has the right of way -- the diagram is even labelled "First Car Rule".
2) The car to the right has the right of way only when two or more cars reach the intersection simultaneously.
So in the original post, the left turning car, which arrived at the stop sign first, has the right of way.
Forget the driver's handbook and statute books. The "natural law" regarding the right of way at 4-way stops is the same basic rule we all learned in elementary school: He who hesitates is lost. The car that gets to go first is the car that goes first.
I had the same situation happen to me yesterday where I was turning left and another HVAC company truck was turning right. We were across from each other. I got to the stop sign about 5 seconds before he did (waiting for through traffic to clear). Do you even think the other driver waited a split second to go after all the cars passed through...NO. My point is, I waited there and was there first, but the other driver could care less. I wasn't about to get into an accident, so of course I waited.
I honestly think that most people really have no clue what the rules are. The ones that do don't care anyway, because they are the same people who drive aggressively, speed, and don't use their turn signals. I used to be a Police Officer in VA, so I know the rules of the road and as far as I know those stop sign rules are the same anywhere in the United States.
I make eye contact, and often won't pull out from either position unless I get visual confirmation that the other person is actively engaged in driving and it appears that they will not smack me.
This is a great rule of thumb when making any type of turn. I think if more people adhered to it, we'd see close to no accidents.
I don't understand the ambiguity here. At an intersection with stop signs, the first one to stop has the right of way. Period, end of story.
What even makes this confusing? That the intersection isn't a 4 way stop (i.e., it has through traffic in one direction)?
Assuming right of way is a great way to get righteously killed.
Right of way is often determined in court, after a party erroneously assumes they had the right of way.
Many years ago I was taught that I can only actually YIELD the right of way. Or claim right of way in court.
The confusion arises from the fact that there are TWO, or more, people driving large chunks of steel involved and I cannot tell what the other persons' assumptions are regarding right of way, or their common sense, or sobriety, or licensure, or level of liability insurance.
So, I settle for controlling what I can, and that often means yielding what may well be a righteous claim to right of way,
Edit to clear things up The rule is clear, if you're approaching before the other car, you have the right to go first.
Well, a lot of the drivers I've encountered in my two years here apparently do not care to understand the rule you mentioned above. I've had numerous occasions where I have clearly gotten to the intersection first but have had to sit there waiting for traffic to clear on the through street. Once it clears, guess who always tries to go first? You guessed it. The person whom came to the intersection last. I have lived in three states and this is the first one where people have SO blatantly disregarded the first to the intersection rule. Couple that with all of the other bad and rule breaking driving that occurs here and you have to really, really, really, really watch out for the drivers around here. Sheesh!
The confusion arises from the fact that there are TWO, or more, people driving large chunks of steel involved and I cannot tell what the other persons' assumptions are regarding right of way, or their common sense, or sobriety, or licensure, or level of liability insurance.
So, I settle for controlling what I can, and that often means yielding what may well be a righteous claim to right of way,
Yep. I always yield for fear of getting t-boned by some bonehead that is in a hurry or is an aggressive driver.
Assuming right of way is a great way to get righteously killed.
Right of way is often determined in court, after a party erroneously assumes they had the right of way.
Many years ago I was taught that I can only actually YIELD the right of way. Or claim right of way in court.
The confusion arises from the fact that there are TWO, or more, people driving large chunks of steel involved and I cannot tell what the other persons' assumptions are regarding right of way, or their common sense, or sobriety, or licensure, or level of liability insurance.
So, I settle for controlling what I can, and that often means yielding what may well be a righteous claim to right of way,
Regarding the bolded statement, I actually looked up the Right-of-Way rule in the FL driver's handbook just now, and this is exactly what it says: that NO ONE has the right of way in that state. People must figure out who must YIELD the right of way. This is what I was taught as well. Then again, the FL handbook did not even address the scenario of two cars arriving at an intersection at the same time travelling in opposite directions. It only assumes that there will always be someone to one's right to yield to. No wonder the drivers are terrible there!
I usually always yield right of way when making a left-hand turn, even if I got to the stop sign first. If I am crossing in front of another car's line of travel, I will yield to them, especially if I'm not completely sure what their intent is. It is worth it to me to take a few extra seconds to NOT be T-boned. Not to mention, if you do get T-boned and end up in court, unless there are witnesses to corroborate who got there first, it is going to be one person's word against the other.
I am wondering if the rule changed at some point, because I remember my parents teaching me that it was actually the law where I learned to drive (FL) that a left-turn always yielded to someone going straight or turning right, even if the left-turner got to the intersection first. There are obviously a lot of people who think this is the case, because I see it happen all the time.
Last edited by miamiblue; 04-03-2009 at 08:25 AM..
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No wonder the drivers are terrible there!
Not to mention, if you do get T-boned and end up in court, unless there are witnesses to corroborate who got there first, it is going to be one person's word against the other.
