The Four-Way Stop With a Broken Signal
You approach a four-way intersection where the traffic signal is completely dark because of a nearby power outage. There are no stop signs on any approach, and no officer is directing traffic. As you slow and stop, you see three other vehicles: a car directly across from you that arrived first and is signaling a left turn, a pickup to your right that stopped at the same moment you did, and a motorcycle behind the pickup. Your lane is a single through/right-turn lane. You intend to go straight. The cross street is a two-lane road with a posted 35 mph limit.
1. What does the dark signal legally mean for this intersection, and who has the right of way among the vehicles?
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A dark or non-functioning signal is treated as a four-way stop (or a stop at every approach). Every driver must come to a complete stop, yield to vehicles already in or approaching the intersection, and proceed in the order of arrival.
Order here:
- The oncoming car arrived first, so it goes first - but because it is turning left across your path, it must yield to you if you are proceeding straight and are close enough to be a hazard. In practice, since it arrived first and you are still stopped, let it complete the turn.
- You and the pickup on your right arrived simultaneously. When two vehicles stop at the same time, the driver on the left yields. The pickup is on your right, so it goes before you.
- The motorcycle follows the pickup.
So: oncoming left-turner, then pickup, then you, then motorcycle.
2. The oncoming car begins its left turn but hesitates mid-intersection. What should you do?
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Do not assume the turn will clear quickly. Keep your foot on the brake and your wheels straight until the path is actually clear. If the car stalls or blocks your lane, wait rather than swerving around it into the oncoming lane - that lane is live traffic and you cannot see far enough past the blocking car.
A blocked intersection is a yield problem, not a passing problem. If the car waves you through, wave back and confirm visually before moving; a wave is not a guarantee the other lanes are clear. Proceed only when you can see the full path is open.