Who Has the Right of Way?

We have all been there. That moment when you come to a 4-way  stop and are not sure who gets to move first.

Here are 5 rules to think about:

Pedestrians have the right of way.

When a pedestrian is crossing a roadway within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, he or she has the right of way to all vehicles.

First come, First Served.

If there is no traffic light but rather a 4-way stop, the first car to arrive at the intersection received the right of way.

Yield to the right.

When two vehicles arrive at the 4-way stop at the same time, the vehicle furthest to the right has the right of way.

Always observe turning signals.

When arriving at an intersection head-to-head with other vehicles, it is important to use signals. Know when someone is turning or driving forward to determine the right of way.

Right over left.

When two vehicles arrive at a 4-way stop at the same time, and they are located head-to-head and one of the vehicles intends to turn right and the other vehicle intends to turn left, the vehicle turning right has right of way.

What if all four cars arrive at the same time? There is no good rule of thumb as to who should go first (who invented this area of grey??). However, it is recommended that be patient and alert!

Be Safe Bondurant!

References:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCBv47G-UpA

http://publications.iowa.gov/18340/1/IA_dlmanual_13-14.pdf - Section 2: Traffic Signs and Rules of the Road, page 19: Intersections

https://iowadot.gov/mvd/driverslicense/dlmanual/section3.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKYd7-9kmx8&feature=emb_title

https://www.topdriver.com/education-blog/4-rules-4-way-stops/

https://www.autoblog.com/2016/04/29/the-guide-to-right-of-way-laws-in-iowa/