Three Cars at a Rainy All-Way Stop, Plus a Pedestrian With a White Cane
It is 5:35 p.m. and raining steadily. You are southbound on a two-lane city street, approaching an all-way stop where you intend to go straight. You stop at the same moment as a pickup that is westbound on the crossing street. A sedan northbound, directly across from you, arrives about two seconds later with its left turn signal on. The pavement is wet and reflective, and your wipers are on. A pedestrian carrying a white cane is standing on the corner to your right, still on the sidewalk. As you begin to accelerate, the northbound sedan creeps forward into the intersection.
1. In what order should the three vehicles proceed, and what rule produces that order?
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Order: pickup first, you second, northbound sedan last.
Reasoning:
- You and the pickup stopped at the same moment, so neither of you is 'first.' At an all-way stop, simultaneous arrivals are resolved by yielding to the vehicle on your right. The pickup is to your right, so it goes first.
- The northbound sedan arrived two seconds after both of you, so it is last regardless of direction.
- Independently, the sedan is turning left. A left-turning driver must yield to oncoming through traffic - that is you - so the sedan would owe you the right of way even if arrival times were unclear.
On wet pavement, add a beat before entering: confirm the pickup has actually committed and stopped moving before you take the intersection.
2. The pedestrian with the white cane steps to the edge of the curb. What does the law require of you, and what should you avoid doing?
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You must yield. A pedestrian using a white cane or a guide dog is blind or seriously visually impaired, and North Carolina requires drivers to yield the right of way to that person whether or not there is a marked crosswalk - the obligation is broader than for other pedestrians.
What to avoid:
- Do not sound a long horn blast. A blind pedestrian navigates partly by sound, and a loud horn can startle or disorient. A brief tap only if it prevents a collision.
- Do not creep forward to signal them to hurry.
- Do not assume they will stop at the curb because they cannot see you.
Practically, this changes your plan: the pedestrian outranks all three vehicles, so the whole four-way-stop sequence waits. Be prepared to sit through a full cycle of arrivals if necessary.
3. The northbound sedan, which should be waiting, creeps forward while you are crossing. What is the correct response?
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Treat the right of way as something you yield, not something you take. Having the legal right of way does not make a collision survivable or your fault-free.
Correct response:
- Ease off the accelerator and cover the brake; be ready to stop completely.
- Watch the sedan's front wheels, not the driver's face or hand gestures - wheels show intention earlier than a wave.
- Do not proceed just because you are legally correct, and do not wave the other driver through. A courtesy wave can redirect liability if a crash results and can confuse a fourth vehicle.
- If the sedan keeps rolling, stop and let it go.
Wet pavement lengthens your stopping distance, so your margin for reaction is smaller than it feels. The exam-style judgment here is that a driver who insists on the right of way is the one who creates the crash.