palmertires

I've been wondering...
If a cyclist and a car both appear at a four way stop at the same time, who, legally has the right of way to go first? The car is to the right of the cyclist in the intersection. If the cyclist were a car, the other car would have the right-of-way. In this combo, does the car still have the right-of-way, or does the bicycle?

Slow Train

A car and a bike are both vehicles. The vehicle to the right, the car in your example, has the right of way.

That said - because many cyclists commonly blow stops signs, lights, etc. a prudent motorist would hesitate a little longer trying to discern which type of cyclist you are. This often leads to standoffs with you drifting into a trackstand while the motorist waits and waits ...

jamesdenver

yup, the person on the right. i also push forward if i'm on the right. but i'll give a hand motion to GO if someones to the right of me.

i agree i hate "too nice" drivers at 4 ways. that's the only time i wish motorists were more aggressive and would just go, and i can cautiously go through the stop sign and not lose momentum. (i always stop when other traffic, even peds are around)

2manybikes

Same road, same rules.

palmertires

Yeah, the "too nice" drivers are what confused me. The stopping, and expecting them to go, but then they don't, and then I start to go at the same they do, and on and on...

raleigh_fan

Around here at least, it doesn't matter if it's cars, bikes, motorcycles, whatever. It's always the "you go", "no, you go", both start to go, "you go", "no, you go", both start to go, etc., dance...

gudel

what if all 4 came to the stop signs at the same time? now you're all confused.

michaelnel

I go by the rule they tought us in the Coast Guard Boating Skills and Seamanship course:

"Always yield to superior tonnage"

If there is any doubt, I'll let the car go first.

truman

Werd. I learned that driving in Italy. All other things being equal, right of way belongs to the party with greater mass

michaelnel

...unless of course you really WANTED to become a hood ornament.

truman

funny thing about you saying that is that the only place so far, where a car made me a hood ornament was in SF, in the parking lot of the Ritz. I was on foot, carrying a big box. Big ol' Mr. Lincoln just took me out.

michaelnel

SF drivers are some of the worst I have ever seen. Too many self-absorbed yuppies. I always assume they will do the wrong thing, and am seldom disappointed.

tokolosh

john prine wrote a song about that

MMACH 5

Here's the reasoning for why the vehicle on the right always goes first:

Whichever vehicle can clear the area of potential impact quicker, goes first.

Eggplant Jeff

Wow MMach5, thanks, I never knew the reason for it.

I often find myself using hand signals at the 4-way stop on my ride home... I turn left, there is almost always traffic in the direction I'm going and the opposite direction, and sometimes from the right, almost never from the left. But usually what happens is the drivers going the opposite direction don't feel like waiting and I have to gesture to them to stop when it's my turn to go.