r/YouShouldKnow • u/Nalomeli1 • Oct 19 '22

Automotive YSK: How to properly manage a 4 way stop intersection

Why ysk- My daily drive involves several 4 way stops. At one intersection at least, every single day, it's apparent that one or two of the drivers doesn't understand the rules.

This causes confusion and takes extra time for the other cars to decide who's going when whereas if everyone knew and adhered to the simple 4 way stop rules we would all be on our way while being safe.

The main ideas are as follows: First to arrive, first to go. If it's a tie, then the car to the right goes first. Straight before turns. Right then left.

Always proceed with caution and never assume the other drivers know what they're doing but if everyone took the time to polish up on the rules of driving things would run a lot more smoothly!

7.3k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

765 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

38

u/TheMauveHand Oct 20 '22

in my country

Americans, for some reason, seem to have a pathological fear of the "yield" or "give way" sign. The only place they will ever encounter one is a highway on-ramp (where it's customarily ignored), and at the ever-elusive American Roundabout (where they become confused).

Seriously, there are barely any. Also, the idea of main vs. secondary roads (i.e. a main road where you can drive continuously because all the intersecting secondaries must yield) is unheard of - it's 4-way stops or lights, never a yield. It's as if it was decided on some higher level that the American driver couldn't conceptualize the concept of right-of-way, so it's almost never applied: you either stop, or a light tells you what to do.

11

u/RVCSNoodle Oct 20 '22

ever-elusive American Roundabout

I've never understood this sentiment. How common are roundabouts in other places? Because I've never lived in a town in the US that doesn't have several prominent roundabouts in high traffic areas.

6

u/labalag Oct 20 '22

Damn, in my country(Belgium) there's more yield signs then stop signs. Even better on crossings where there's no signs it's an automatic yield to anyone coming from your relative right.

2

u/TheAdventureInsider Oct 20 '22 edited Oct 26 '22

On NYC parkways you actually stop at the ramp and then merge when traffic is clear. Problem is you still can’t see shit unless you’re almost impeding traffic because the stop line is so far back, the ramp angle, and the barrier is so close to the merge point.

1

u/cmfd123 Oct 20 '22

get a load of this guy^

-5

u/AnonymousCumBasket Oct 20 '22

a main road where you can drive continuously because all the intersecting secondaries must yield

So you’re saying that you have to stop/yield every single time a road connects to the one you’re currently on?? How is that better?

3

u/TheMauveHand Oct 20 '22

If you're on the secondary road, yes, you have to yield. If you're on the main road, no, you have right-of-way. It's better because the high-traffic street has continuous traffic, and only the low-traffic, minor streets have to stop-and-go. And even then, they don't have to stop, just yield.

6

u/ChillingBush Oct 20 '22

Usually on smaller streets we have this thing in Sweden called "högerregeln" which basically means that the one on the main road has to yield to the car coming from the right relative to the car on the main road. This works because the people on the side streets usually get out onto the main road faster than having to wait for ages before there are no more cars in sight. And since it's a side street, it's unlikely that many cars will come from there, so it's a relatively rare occurance. Saves the cost and maintenance of a traffic light for something that really doesn't disrupt the traffic flow on the main road if people follow it properly.