Who goes first at a four-way stop in Kansas and Missouri?
“YOU MUST DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE YOU CAN TO PREVENT STRIKING A PEDESTRIAN, PROPERTY, OR ANOTHER VEHICLE, REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES,” KANSAS’ HANDBOOK SAYS. “YOU ONLY GAIN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY WHEN ANOTHER ROADWAY USER GIVES YOU THE RIGHT-OF-WAY.”
You and another driver find yourself at a four-way intersection in Kansas City at the same time. There, you wait to see who makes the first move and drives through.
Missouri and Kansas have laws in place for these interactions. Depending on the circumstances, the respective laws determine who has the right-of-way.
Here’s what the laws say about right-of-way in the Kansas City area.
WHO HAS THE RIGHT-OF-WAY AT INTERSECTIONS?
The driver who gets to the intersection first has the right of way, according to both Missouri and Kansas driver’s handbooks:
●Missouri’s driver’s handbook says, “At a four-way stop, the driver reaching the intersection first may proceed before the other drivers (after coming to a
●complete stop).” Kansas’ driver’s handbook says, “At a 4-way stop, the driver reaching the intersection first should be given the right-of-way by other drivers approaching the 4-way stop.”
Drivers give up their right of way when a pedestrian is crossing the street in marked or unmarked paths on both states.
“You must do everything possible you can to prevent striking a pedestrian, property, or another vehicle, regardless of the circumstances,” Kansas’ handbook says. “You only gain the right-of-way when another roadway user gives you the right-of-way.”
If you are trying to enter a road from your driveway, an alley or from the roadside, you must yield to vehicles already on the main road. When you approach a roundabout, you must yield to traffic in the circle and pedestrians crossing. You can enter when there is a gap in traffic.
Drivers also yield the right of way to emergency vehicles, like police cars, fire trucks or ambulances, when they are using their sirens or flashing their lights. You must pull over to the right edge of the road or as far to the right as you can and stop, and then you can continue once the emergency vehicles pass.
If you are at an intersection when an emergency vehicle has its sirens and lights on, drive through the intersection and pull over to the right side of the road.
WHAT IF TWO DRIVERS GET TO A STOP SIGN AT THE SAME TIME?
Whether you are in Kansas or Missouri, if you and another driver arrive at a four-way stop at the same time, the handbooks state that the driver of the vehicle on the left must yield to the vehicle on the right.
Drivers who are turning left must also yield their right of way to drivers who are not making a turn and driving forward.
“The law says who must yield the right-of-way; it does not give any driver the right-of-way,” Missouri’s handbook says. “You must do everything you can to prevent striking a pedestrian or another vehicle, regardless of the circumstances.”