The Very Neglected Basics (part 2)
Posted in 3 - Driving with tags 4 way, intersections, stop sign, traffic on July 25, 2008 by PooI don’t know how it works these days, but when I took my class 5 road test a decade ago I had to drive through about half a dozen 4-way stop signs. And I remember being warned that fucking up at one of these would mean an instant fail on that test. This brings me to my next rant about basic stuff drivers fuck up all the time…
3, 4, 5, and All-Way Stop Signs. To me, these intersections seem quite simple, as do the rules for using them. And as far as I know, you need to know these rules in order to get a driver’s license.
So, what exactly went wrong, people? Did everyone just forget after thier road tests? Did allthese horrible drivers buy their licenses from crooked ICBC agents with no driving training or testing? I ask because clearly more that half of you driving out there seem to have no fucking clue what to do at a 4-way stop.
I have four to six 4-way stops on my commute (depending on which way I go), and every single day I see many people failing horribly at these intersections. People will double up and sneak through with the vehicle in front of them. Some people stop and continue to wave everyone else through not realizing they have the right of way. Others will drive up on the shoulder and pass a line of cars on the right just to cut back into line in the middle of the intersection. And as far as knowing who actually has the right of way and when, people are fucking hopeless.
Direct quote from ICBC:
Four-way stops - When there are stop signs at all corners:
•If two vehicles arrive at the same time, the one on the right should go first.
•If two vehicles are facing each other and have arrived at the intersection at about the same time, the one making a left turn must yield to the one going straight through.
What they fail to mention though is that if 3 vehicles arrive at the same time, the two moving in opposite directions have the right of way first. Maybe they leave that part out because if you follow that logic and ask what to do if 4 vehicles arrive at the same time, you wont get an answer. This is where the Motor Vehicle Act fails, and doesn’t actually specify what to do. Shamefully, the rules aren’t quite written on that one yet.
But anyway, the rest is really basic and easy stuff. If you can’t figure this simplest of simple rules of the road, then do us all a favor and get off the road.
