Who has the right of way at a stop sign?
i think if i lived in a european country, this wouldn’t be a big deal because they have the “roundabout,” that, in my opinion, makes traffic flow much more smoothly.
but have you ever been in traffic at a 4-way stop sign and felt aggravated because you knew you stopped just milliseconds first and had the “right of way,” only to observe the drivers on the other three corners stopped after you?
stop signs or roundabouts?
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35 Answers
The person who stops first.
In drivers ed learned the person to the right always has the right of way.
suppose thats where the saying came from.
The guy with the most beat-up vehicle.
In my state, the car that came to the intersection first, has the right of way. If cars arrive at a stop sign simultaneously, the car of the right has the right of way.
@The_Compassionate_Heretic that’s how it is in every state I’ve lived in. Also here in PA you don’t have to stop at some stop signs if you’re making a right turn. It usually says so I think.
@uberbatman only thing is drivers seem to not realize whose wheels stopped first. seems like i have a keen skill to realize this, but everybody else just hesitates as “no, you were first, no you were first, uh, no, you were first to stop.
@charliecompany34 If people are lolly gagging waving people and no bodies going, I go. Midway through the intersection I try to make an effort to wave to the douchebags if I’m not shifting into 2nd at that moment.
@charliecompany34 yea that is annoying. Then im always hesitant to go because ive been halfway across the intersection many times when the other person finally decided they wanted to go.
Sometimes, you just have to do what you know is right and hope someone doesn’t t-bone you. We can’t control the actions of other drivers. There’s risk in all things.
The question you have to decide for yourself is, “are you the type of person who waits for someone else to go, or are you the type of person who goes?”
@uberbatman Just grip it & rip it! That way the squealing tires frightens the other drives and they immediately step on the brake, also it shows how interested you are about how the rest of them received their license.
i’ve been at at four-corner stops where everybody is waving on others to go and it’s like, “dude, just drive—get off the phone and drive dammit.”
Technically it’s the person who stopped first, but in practice there will always be some jerk who goes even when it isn’t their right of way. If there are no cops around, try being that jerk.
the leader goes. the follower waves on. i feel you uberbatman!
it’s like the roundabout-whoever got there first.that’s how I treat it!
seems people in the US though dont get the roundabout. americans would rather stop than yield.
@charliecompany34 I’ve lived in quite a few places that have round’a’bouts. I like them if there’s not a lot of traffic, but forget it if there is.
Roundabouts are yet another superior example of European solutions.
As for stop signs, the rules are as everyone above said. But some people don’t come to complete stops (which is fine if they are by themselve) and it causes confusion to everyone else. Because the actual moment of stoppage, is what is used to make the snap decision as to who stopped there first. Also, some people are timid or scatterbrained. They get all confused, and afraid to go when it’s their turn. They’re adults, and yet never noticed that maybe they should focus their mind each time they come to a stop sign. Pathetic.
Layers of illogic, in America. The only thing we do right over the Europeans, is we know how to chill a cola or a beer properly.
There are roundabouts in many places in the US. One of my earlier car accidents was at a roundabout in San Francisco. We tend to go around them in the opposite direction from the roundabouts in Britain.
However, there are also many four-way stops. As others have said, the first one to stop is supposed to be the first one who goes, and a tie goes to the car on the right. However, those who insist on always being first often have higher insurance premiums.
And those “rolling stops” where the wheels barely come to a stop are locally called “California stops” and they will get you a ticket if a cop sees you.
@Axemusica I’m from PA, and yes you do have to stop at stop signs for right turns..UNLESS it says otherwise.
Also, on that note…I live near a stop sign where two sides don’t have to stop for right turns. If someone in front of them is making a left turn, they sneak behind them and make their right turn….you know that’s illegal too, right? It drives me bonkers because of accidents constantly. If someone is in front of you at a stop sign, people HAVE to stop even if they don’t have to stop because they’re making a right turn. rant off
I’m from PA, the person who got there first has the right away, or whoever feels like being a jackass and going ahead of everyone else…there’s always one.
@casheroo I didn’t know that, although I wouldn’t do that anyway. Just because that person is making a right turn doesn’t mean that the right of way rule doesn’t still apply to the person making the left who has to yield, even if there isn’t a car crossing his path.
I’ve actually only seen one stop sign that said that though and thought it was absurd and still found myself stopping even if I was making a right turn out of habit, lol.
There is one thing in this state that confuses me that I’ve never seen before. Those streets that say no turn from the shoulder. Does that mean you can’t turn right if the lights red if you’re at the cross walk or does it mean, only people at the crosswalk that are going to turn right can? I do get that if the person in front of you is going straight you can’t use the shoulder, but if you’re at the crosswalk and want to turn right is it permitted?
@Axemusica I’m trying to think of where I’ve seen a sign like that. I’ve seen “Keep off Shoulder” but I think it’s rare to see “No turn from Shoulder” To me that means you can’t use it as a lane at all, even if it’s a red light and you want to turn. But, that depends on if there’s a “no turn on red” sign, if there’s no sign by the light or before the intersection, then you can turn on red. Also, what do you mean, at the crosswalk?
Oh, and be careful, if you are making a right turn at a no stop at red stop sign, you risk getting rear ended..people will see you are making a right turn (if you use your turn signal) and may ram into you because they think you will just drive through.
I see and have to call 911 for accidents ALL the time, because of the two no stop for right turn signs at the end of my street. It’s so frustrating. I don’t understand why they have it, it ruins traffic.
@casheroo There’s no “no turn on red” sign. It’s painted on the side of road “No turns from shoulder” right before the intersection. I’ll take a picture of it. I’ve seen it in one other place, but I take this way home everyday, so I see it and think about it all the time. By crosswalk, I mean if you’re stopped at the intersection as if first in line and want to make a right turn.
Texas has “no turn on red” signs in a lot of places.
@Axemusica definitely take a picture, because I googled and I’m not coming up with anything. Only Keep Off of Shoulder. Anytime they tell you to stay off the shoulder, they just don’t want you to make another lane out of it..it ruins the flow of traffic.
@casheroo No Turns From Shoulder and if you see in the background no sign saying no turn on red. The sign behind the one I blew up is just another No turns from shoulder.
@Axemusica Hmm. That is strange. I don’t recall seeing that in the part of PA I’m from (Philly area) which part of PA are you in? I imagine you can’t even make a turn from the right lane since, but if there’s no sign then I don’t think they can stop you. I would ask a cop about it, because that’s totally new to me lol Oh and I stick to the “it’ll mess with the flow of traffic” thing. People using the shoulder to make right turns on red mess up the people who actually have the right of way or in the proper lane who want to turn. That’s all I can think of.
@casheroo This is east of Allentown in the Trexlertown area. That second street light is the 222. I know it’s not to use the shoulder to turn, but what if you’re that first van or SUV at the light there and wanted to turn right? Technically you’re not on the shoulder and there’s no no turn on red sign.
@Axemusica True, and in that case I’m not sure what the legalities of it would be. I got a ticket once for turning at a red light (in Philly) and they said it was because of how the cross street was…it wasn’t even(like a messed up T), so I had to drive up and make the right turn…apparently that’s against the law and I had no clue.
I would ask a cop in that area, because I only have “keep off shoulder” signs in my area.
@deni yeah, um i know that much. but seems drivers cannot tell who stopped first when they get to the intersection at the same time. we even pause and look at each other or “wave them on” not knowing who was first. i can always tell by focusing on the front wheels. it’s a science…
@charliecompany34 that’s why they’ve placed the law of the car to the right having the right of way.
Alright, I am from Lancaster, PA, and here we have a slightly different code of driving than most places I’ve been (including other places of PA). I know of 2 “No Turn From Shoulder” signs within 2 miles from me (but the only 2 I know of) and here is what they are for.
In Lancaster, the locals drive in the shoulder to pass cars turning left (not necessarily at an intersection). This is common behavior from police, school buses, and all the locals and will not get you a ticket. Shoulders are used to turn right when no right turn lane is available. All of this includes intersections with stop signs and traffic lights. There are a few intersections where they don’t want you passing all the cars going straight or left in the shoulder and this is where these signs come from. I live 2 lights from one of these signs and still turn from the shoulder, everyone does. These signs are confusing, not used much, and completely ignored. However, if I saw a cop I would probably not turn from the shoulder, even though they may ignore it.
Hope this helps, and if you drive in Lancaster and you are visiting, have fun and don’t get mad if we honk at you :D
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