A 3-minute lesson from the Vermont course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Right-of-way rules decide who goes first when two road users want the same space. Not yielding the right-of-way is one of the poor driver decisions the handbook lists as a cause of crashes, so know exactly when you must wait.
Vermont right-of-way rules:
Yield to pedestrians, bicyclists and other traffic already in the intersection
At a yield sign, slow enough to stop if needed; enter only when the way is clear
At a four-way stop, the first vehicle to arrive should go first
Arriving at a four-way stop at about the same time: the driver on the left yields to the one on the right
Turning left: yield to all oncoming traffic, motor vehicles and bicyclists
Entering from a driveway, alley, parking lot or T-intersection: yield to all traffic on the road
Before entering any intersection, search in all directions and be sure your path is clear
You and another car stop at a four-way stop at the same moment. The other car is on your right, so you yield and let it go first. If you had clearly arrived first, you would go first.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
At a 4-way stop, who has the right-of-way?
The vehicle on the left
The vehicle turning right
The first vehicle to arrive
The vehicle going straight
Answer: The first vehicle to arrive
At a four-way stop, the first vehicle to arrive should have the right-of-way.
