Which of the following statements about right-of-way at an unmarked T intersection is true?
Answers
Traffic on the road that ends at the T intersection has the right-of-way.
All traffic must stop and the driver who stopped first has the right-of-way.
All traffic must stop and the driver on the right has the right-of-way.
Traffic on the through-road has the right-of-way.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is:
Traffic on the through-road has the right-of-way.
Explanation:
At an unmarked T intersection, the rules of right-of-way are designed to ensure the smooth flow of traffic and prevent collisions. A T intersection consists of two roads, with one road ending at the intersection, while the other road continues straight through.
- Traffic on the through-road has the right-of-way: This means that vehicles traveling on the road that continues straight through the intersection (the “through-road”) do not need to yield to traffic coming from the road that ends at the intersection (the “terminating road”). Drivers on the terminating road are required to yield to any traffic on the through-road. The rationale for this rule is that vehicles traveling on the through-road are already in motion, and stopping or slowing for vehicles entering from the terminating road would create unnecessary disruptions.
- Traffic on the road that ends at the T intersection has the right-of-way: This is not correct. The vehicles coming from the terminating road must yield to the vehicles on the through-road. Yielding helps prevent accidents when vehicles entering the intersection might have limited visibility or may not be able to judge the speed of oncoming traffic accurately.
- All traffic must stop and the driver who stopped first has the right-of-way: This is incorrect. In general, not all traffic is required to stop at an unmarked T intersection. Only the vehicles on the terminating road are required to yield, not come to a complete stop unless necessary. The concept of “first to stop” applies in some intersections with stop signs, but it does not apply here.
- All traffic must stop and the driver on the right has the right-of-way: This applies to certain intersections (e.g., where there are no signs or lights) and is typical for controlled intersections, but not for T intersections. At an unmarked T intersection, the rule of yielding to traffic on the through-road takes precedence over the rule about the driver on the right.
In conclusion, at an unmarked T intersection, the main rule is that traffic on the through-road has the right-of-way, and drivers on the terminating road must yield.