Red means stop. Green means go. Use your turn signal when changing lanes.
There are simple rules of the road that everyone should follow -- but we found out that sometimes, the rules of the road are not that simple.
Today's suggestion in the Operation Safe Roads "Mailbag" comes from Jon, who requested we "Do a 20 second PSA on basic traffic procedures. At a 4-way, just like any other situation, turning vehicles yield to oncoming traffic!! How many times do people turning left at a 4-way try to go first and cause confusion?"
First off, Jon, there is a ton of confusion when it comes to simple traffic scenarios, so thanks for the heads-up.
If traffic regulations at 4-way stops were easy to remember, there wouldn't be dozens of YouTube videos with hundreds of thousands of viewers trying to figure out what to do.
Second, vehicles turning at an intersection DO NOT have to yield to those traveling straight through.
So, what's the answer?
Proceed in the order you arrive. Think back to the driver's test when you got your license.
The Arizona Driver's Manual states that "the driver of the vehicle on the left must yield the right-of-way to the driver on the right."
So, always look to your right and use caution.
Another piece of advice from traffic professionals: Know the rules of the road with confidence so you cut down confusion. And don't freeze in the middle of an intersection! It just makes things even worse.