By one lane I mean one lane of travel in each direction, but the road is wide enough for parking on the sides. IE if there is no one parking, the road is wide enough for two cars to travel in parallel.
As soon as it is safe, should two cars in series become parallel to travel through the intersection at the same time, then one car moves behind the other?
At a two-lane four-way stop, do both cars in a lane going the same direction need to stop before proceeding? IE RHS car stops, LHS car is half a car length from the stop line, RHS starts, does LHS car have to stop and wait for its compass direction to get its turn, or can LHS car proceed with RHS car?
I’m in Saskatchewan, but I don’t really care whose rules I hear about. Even at two-lane four-ways I never see anyone other than the buses choose the road less chosen.
Two cars may not share a single lane, except in the case where one is turning right at a light or stop sign. Generally there’s a short turn lane at that point anyway. In California motorcycles are allowed to lane split (when safe).
In the two lane situation, yes, both cars must come to a complete stop before proceeding.
The guy in front of you is in the proper lane. You want to pull up on his right side, in an unoccupied parking space. When he decides to go, it is possible that he’ll make a right turn into your left side. That sort of thing can ruin your whole day.
(Do not rely on the fact that his turn indicator was not flashing. He may have forgotten to turn it on. Or he may have intended to go straight, and is now making a last-minute decision to turn, not realizing that you are in his way.)
Here in NC, if the road is only painted for 1 lane, then you’d be in violation if you tried to cross at the same time as another car (in the same direction). Not only that, but the angry redneck next to you would let you know his displeasure at your actions, too.
All that being said, i understand how that particular flow pattern would be beneficial, and maybe the folks in Saskatchewan can pull something like that off. But here in NC, it’d cause too much confusion. The people behind the steering wheel are already busy eating, talking on their phones, and changing DVD’s for the kids in the back seat. Who’s got concentration left for driving?
A somewhat similar question… I live in rural Iowa, and all my life its been common for drivers on 2 lane roads to pull into the opposing lane if they are going to make a left turn, so the person behind them can continue on without having to brake(obviously only if there are no oncoming cars). No one I know of knows the legality of the custom, but it is considered polite.
Have no idea how that would be applied by the court in situations like the OP asks about, or in the situation given by Keeve. If the OP needs real legal guidance about this issue, should ask the cops or a local lawyer who knows something about it, unlike me. I’m not your lawyer, you’re not my client, and you shouldn’t base your actions in real life on what some unknown monkey is randomly typing on an internet message board.
I once had a situation much like that posited (except that it was a traffic lights, and it was a three-way T intersection). I was planning to turn right, and had my right-hand indicator on, waiting either for a green light or a break in the traffic from the left. When the light turned green, I proceeded to make my turn, only to find that an idiot had pulled up on my right, off the road, to make the turn too. We collided, with a small amount of damage to my car. He insisted in calling the cops, and a police officer came. Having heard my side of the story, and having checked to see if my right-hand indicator was working, she let me drive off – and I suspect, though I never heard later, that she booked the other driver.
CutterJohn: I remember being told that in Driver’s Ed, but I’ve never seen anyone do it.
I’m not sure if it is true of all four-ways, but many have a no-parking sign near the actual intersection. I’ll have to pay attention, and see how the roads are painted, because right now there are no lines on any of our roads.
Northern Piper: BTW: I’m not in any legal trouble, I’ve just been focusing on the mechanics of my driving, ie actually stopping at stop signs, making crisp lane changes, etc.
Ah, yes. On the southbound route to my home, there’s even a huge, friggin’ sign that indicates “DRIVING ON SHOULDER PROHIBITED” (their caps, not mine). Yet on more than one occasion, I’ve had near misses while merging into my turn (it’s not 90°, you see) from the traffic lane into the side road, while some asshole tries to pass me on the shoulder on the right. I hope I hit one one day (not intentionally) so that his rates skyrocket.
My grandpa’s brother-in-law got a ticket when turning from a parking lane in Sugarcreek, Ohio. It’s a 4-way, single-lane stop at a traffic light. I guess he just rolled up through the parking spots on the right-hand side of the road and made his turn. bzzzzzt
I’m not your lawyer, you’re not my client, and you shouldn’t base your actions in real life on what some unknown monkey is randomly typing on an internet message board.