Do you know the rules of the road?

Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux M Aspherical MF - Black

09/05/2006 12:10:49 PM · #1

Interesting question. I don't really think I know the correct answer.

You come to a two-way stop with crossing traffic not having a stop sign. You plan to turn left. After you arrive, but before you can pull out, a car stops at the stop sign across from you and intends to go straight.

Who has the right of way? You who arrived first, but are turning left or the other car who arrived second, but is going straight?

scarbrd

Leica M10

09/05/2006 12:12:57 PM · #2

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

Is this a trick question? I thought it is always the one who arrives first is the first to go regardless of who is turning or going straight.

fotomann_forever

09/05/2006 12:13:24 PM · #3

I don't know about your parts, but around here, the vehicle with the largest tires always has the right away :-)

I'd assume the car that arrived first has the right away.

Beagleboy

Canon EOS-30D

Tokina AF 12-24mm f/4.0 AT-X Pro DX

09/05/2006 12:13:24 PM · #4

The way I would do it, and the way I have always done it is: the person who is first at their stop sign has right of way.

LN13

Canon EF-S 15-85mm IS USM

09/05/2006 12:13:35 PM · #5

I believe the answer is "the other car". Straight has right of way over turns.

cryingdragon

Canon EOS-10D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

09/05/2006 12:14:52 PM · #6

The person with the larger vehicle.

Actually, you do because you were there first.

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

09/05/2006 12:15:46 PM · #7

No, no trick question. The answer, however, isn't obvious. If it were a 4-way stop, the answer would obviously be the person who arrives first. However, if it were a light, the answer would be the person going straight. So where do 2-way stops fall? The are arranged more like a light, but have stop signs...

BMacD

Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Zuiko Digital Zoom

09/05/2006 12:20:44 PM · #8

I believe the other car! They can usually cross the road safer than you can merge with traffic.

scarbrd

Leica M10

Leica 35mm f/1.4 Summilux M Aspherical MF - Black

09/05/2006 12:23:07 PM · #9

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

I get what you're saying but I'm sticking with first in, first out. The person going straight would also have to wait for the intersection to clear the cross traffic, just like the person turning left.

In the red light scenario is different since there is protection from the cross traffic, and the yellow light is for people turning left. The stop sign scenario has no specific time for the left turn so people need to go in order of arrival at the intersecation.

Message edited by author 2006-09-05 16:23:46.

zeuszen

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

09/05/2006 12:30:44 PM · #10

Originally posted by larryslights:

I believe the answer is "the other car". Straight has right of way over turns.

I agree. First come, first serve applies in open intersections (no stop signs or red-green lights), although I'd never trust it.

Message edited by author 2006-09-05 16:31:38.

mist

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

09/05/2006 12:31:27 PM · #11

Probably the answer is "noone has right of way", as is the case over here when, say, the lights are out at a crossroads. It's up to both cars to stop.

Priority then, though, would normally go with the person who is going straight, because you would be obstructing his normal passage by crossing the lane. The turning car should yield.

quiet_observation

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

09/05/2006 12:37:39 PM · #12

In Philadelphia, neither driver would waste their time stopping at a sign.

saintaugust

Canon EOS-550D Rebel T2i

09/05/2006 12:37:49 PM · #13

Originally posted by larryslights:

I believe the answer is "the other car". Straight has right of way over turns.

i believe this is right. i usually let the guy going straight have right of way. they usually take it anyway. lol

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

09/05/2006 12:40:57 PM · #14

Well, I'm happy there seems to be varied opinions, because I just am not sure. I usually tend to think it's the person who gets there first, but I have trouble just pulling out when that car across from me is waiting. I'm afraid they are going to go too and then there will just be general chaos.

Konador

Canon EOS-500D Rebel T1i

09/05/2006 12:43:57 PM · #15

In England straight ahead would have right of way over someone who is turning and crossing a lane of traffic.

mist

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

09/05/2006 12:44:19 PM · #16

I doubt that "getting there first" has anything to do with it. You'd have to "get there first" and be able to complete your turn before any other car arrived. Simple facts are that you can't just turn across another lane of traffic, ever (if it means that that turn would cause another car to have to stop).

yanko

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Carl Zeiss 50mm ZE f/1.4 Planar T for Canon

09/05/2006 12:44:48 PM · #17

What about 4 way stops? Does the 1 car going straight have the right away over the 3 others wanting to make a turn?

strangeghost

Canon EOS-7D

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

09/05/2006 12:46:34 PM · #18

In those situations (and there are two intersections like that very near my house), it's good to make eye contact with the other driver and - if appropriate - wave them through. First come/first serve is a good rule (and probably works most of the time), but there's no substitute for personal courtesy.

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

09/05/2006 12:46:59 PM · #19

Hey! I just found the answer on google for at least the state of Michigan...

At an intersection with a two way stop, if a vehicle wanting to make a left-hand turn arrived before a vehicle wanting to go straight through the intersection and cross traffic clears, who has the right-of-way.

In this case, the issue is "first-come-first-go". State law does not say that the driver "going strait through" has the right of way. However, the driver turning may want to show a bit more caution before turning in front of oncoming vehicles.

LeeD

Canon EOS-30D

09/05/2006 12:49:59 PM · #20

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

I don't know about your parts, but around here, the vehicle with the largest tires always has the right away :-)

I drive a 4 door Toyota Tundra and am an uhmm.... agressive driver so most of the time I have the right of way! ;-P

Edit to add...

Did someone have an accident??? Doc, is this a hypothetical question or do you have something to share?

Message edited by author 2006-09-05 16:50:48.

mist

Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM

09/05/2006 12:50:26 PM · #21

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

State law

Wow. So you guys have different road laws for each state over there? That could make for some fun driving times.

pidge

Canon EOS-7D Mark II

09/05/2006 12:51:45 PM · #22

You never stated if the indicator was on. May I point out you are also making it sound like whoever goes is going to slam the gas and scream from 0 to 60 in 1.2 seconds. Most people kind of roll before actually going (or so it seems), so if you have your indicator on, the odds of it descending into general chaos are relatively small. However road rage is changing all that 'relatively small' into something larger.

Put me in the whoever got there first goes first.

For those who say other car, what if there is another car behind it? Is the person turning left suppose to wait until all cars stop, and then go straight before he turns?

While stop signs are like stop lights, the reason a person turning yields to the cars going straight at a stop light is because they would get t-boned unless the cars stopped, which they won't do because it is a green light. At a stop sign, the green light doesn't exsist, so no car has an automatic right of way like a green light grants.

Did this make any sense? I'll stop my rambling. It doesn't matter anyways since I rarely drive now. You don't have to worry about these things on a subway :P

srdanz

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

09/05/2006 12:51:46 PM · #23

4-way stop has been invented here in the US (at least, when I left europe they were not there).
In europe, there are strict rules for intersections, such as crossing the other vehicle's path, and turning right vs. left on a rouad with equal right of way...

So, in europe, you would have to wait for the straight-going car to pass before you turn left.

In the US, as Leroy suggested, it depends on what the ratio of your vehicle's gross weight to the other, whether they have NRA bumper stickers etc.

I would wait for the other car to go straight through, and I would start going forward even if the other car stopped before me and was indicating that they will be turning left...

LedZeppelin588

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon

09/05/2006 12:53:48 PM · #24

I wait cuz I don't want to get in a wreck.