The Uncontrolled Intersection With a Hidden Stop Sign
You are driving on a residential street at 25 mph and approach a four-way intersection with no traffic signals. A stop sign is partly hidden by a tree branch, and you do not see it until you are 30 feet away. A car is approaching from the right at about 20 mph, and a bicyclist is riding toward you in your lane. A pedestrian is waiting at the corner but has not stepped into the crosswalk. The road is narrow, and parked cars limit your view to the left.
1. If the stop sign is valid but obscured, what must you do, and how does the car from the right affect your decision?
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You must stop at the stop line or, if there is none, before entering the crosswalk or intersection. A partly hidden sign is still a valid sign; not seeing it does not excuse running it. At a four-way stop, the first vehicle to arrive and stop goes first. If you and the car from the right arrive at about the same time, yield to the car on your right. If you arrived and stopped first, you may go, but only after confirming the other car is actually stopping. The bicyclist and pedestrian also require yielding.
2. What should you do about the bicyclist coming toward you in your lane?
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The bicyclist is riding toward you, which is unusual and dangerous. Slow down, do not pass until you can see the road ahead is clear, and give the bicyclist room. If the lane is too narrow to share safely, wait rather than squeeze past. Do not honk aggressively. After stopping at the sign, proceed only when you can see far enough to avoid the bicyclist and any oncoming traffic.
3. The pedestrian is waiting but has not entered the crosswalk. Must you wait, and what if you are unsure whether the sign is real?
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A pedestrian waiting at the corner but not in the crosswalk does not automatically have the right of way, but you should be prepared to stop if they step off the curb. Yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. If you are unsure whether the sign is valid, treat it as valid and stop; the safe choice is to obey it. If you believe the sign is damaged or unofficial, report it to the city rather than ignoring it.