Who has the Right of Way at a Four Way Stop?

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By: Taranjit | Last Updated: June 1, 2020

Don’t you just hate that awkward moment when you arrive at a stop sign at the same time as someone else? And now you are sitting there looking at each other, trying to read each other’s minds. Are they the type of person who is just going to go and not care who got there first? Are you both going to wave to each other to let the other go first? Talk about awkward. Now you have to be like, oh okay. I’ll go. Or no, no. You go first. And now you are stuck in this back and forth battle of no you go first.

Why can’t it be simple? And why can’t everyone just follow the same rules?

Rules: Ask yourself this

1. Who arrived first?

This is the easiest scenario to determine who has the right of way at a stop sign. The first person to get to the stop sign, gets to go first.

I don’t know if it’s just me, but when I see another person also approaching the stop sign, I either speed up or slow down depending on how far they are from reaching the stop sign. This just makes it so much easier to be like, I got there first, so I go first. Or, alternatively, I purposely slow down enough that way the other driver gets there before me, so we both know it’s their turn to go first.

But then you have that one driver, who you slowed down for so they got to the stop sign first and you have prepared yourself to let them go first, and then they wave to you to go first. This throws me off my game and takes me a second to realize, oh. They want me to go first.

Does that happen to anyone else? Or is it just me? Just me? Oh. Okay. (And I just had an internal discussion with myself). On to the next rule.

2. Person to the right goes first

The person to the right has the right of way when you both arrive to a stop sign at the same time and are side by side. But what if there are 2 other drivers that arrive at the same time as you? The person to the most right goes first, followed by the next person to the right, and then the last person (who was on the left) can go.

Right goes first.

I was not aware of this rule, but I guess it makes sense. I feel like this is something that they should teach you in Driver’s Ed that way everyone is on the same page because what if that driver to the right doesn’t know this rule, then what? You are left just looking at each other, trying to communicate with hand signals and mouthing words to determine who goes first. If we all just knew the rules, it would save us the trouble.

3. Person going straight goes first

Again, you and another driver have arrived at the stop sign together, but this time you are across from each other instead of beside each other. The other driver wants to go straight and you want to turn. Who goes first?

The right of way goes to the driver who wants to go straight. I don’t know how this was determined, but that is the best practice. Let the person going straight across the intersection go first and then you can make your turn. I guess it makes sense if you think about it. The person going straight is crossing the road you are planning to turn onto, so they are not joining the traffic on the road they are just crossing.

4. Person turning right goes first over person turning left

Here we are again, but slightly different scenario. You and another driver arrive at the stop signs across from each other at the same time, and you want to make a right and they want to make a left into the same lane. Who goes first?

The person making a right, which would be you in this case, has the right of way. This makes sense since the other person would have to cross 2 lanes of traffic to get into the same lane, whereas, you are just going into the lane right in front of you.

This is why it is important that you use your signals when at a stop sign so that other drivers can know where you plan to go when you cross the intersection. This is one of my biggest pet peeves, especially with drivers here in Maryland. Marylanders just don’t use their signals, and it really bugs me when someone is planning on turning, but doesn’t use their signal to warn you of said action. Oh that really bugs me. This may be why I just don’t trust turn signals anymore. Even if a person has their signal on, I am always like, but are you really going to turn or did you just forget to turn off your signal?

What if four cars arrive at all four stop signs at the same time?

First of all, that would be crazy and I have yet to see that happen. Second of all, there are no established rules for this scenario. In this case, it would be best to judge the situation and look out for the more aggressive, I want to go first driver. Let that person go and then go when it is safe for you to do so.

Final thoughts

Now these rules only work if everyone plays be the rules. This is why it is extremely important to be aware of the other drivers and their behavior, and be prepared to communicate clearly to other drivers on your intensions. Whether it is using your hand to signal them to go first or flashing your headlights, be sure to stick with your choice and not change your mind in the middle.

And remember, not everyone abides by these rules. So be prepared to be the better person and to just let the other driver go first. Safety should always be your number one priority and if that means you should just wait for the other driver to go first, then you should do just that. Be the smarter and safer driver.