Issues at a four-way stop can be catastrophic for a motorcyclist. If another driver makes a mistake and proceeds through the intersection at the wrong time, they can cause a devastating accident. Motorcyclists properly riding through the intersection may literally never realize what hit them, as they couldn’t anticipate the crash and had the right of way.
As such, it is important for all drivers to know the basic rules of a four-way stop. In all instances, drivers must stop at the sign and check in the other directions before continuing. They have to yield to any traffic already in the intersection. But when can they proceed? The main rules are:
- The first person to arrive at the intersection gets to go first.
- If drivers arrive simultaneously, they have to yield to the right.
- If two opposing cars are going straight and turning, the car that is going straight has the right of way.
- Cars that are turning right get to turn before cars that are turning left onto the same road.
As you may suspect, one of the biggest issues is that people simply go out of turn. They may not realize who arrived at the sign first in busy traffic. You often get drivers who are unsure what to do, hesitate for a moment, and then aggressively try to make their move, no matter when they arrived or who has the right of way. That can be deadly for someone on a motorcycle who is following the law.
If you do get hit or if a loved one dies in such an accident, you may have a right to financial compensation.