NEGOTIATING
INTERSECTIONS

CHAPTER 7
NEGOTIATING INTERSECTIONS
7.1 SEARCHING INTERSECTIONS
7.2 CONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS
7.3 UNCONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS
7.4 DETERMINING RIGHT OF WAY AND
JUDGING GAPS

CHAPTER 7
INTERSECTIONS FACTS:
1/3 OF ALL COLLISIONS TAKE PLACE AT
INTERSECTIONS
¼ OF ALL FATAL COLLISIONS TAKE PLACE AT
INTERSECTIONS

CHAPTER 7
IDENTIFYING INTERSECTIONS:
STREET SIGNS AND STREET LIGHTS
ROADWAY MARKINGS
CROSSING TRAFFIC
PARKED VEHICLES ON CROSS STREETS
TURNING TRAFFIC
ROWS OF FENCES
TRAFFIC STOPPING
POWER LINES

CHAPTER 7
APPROACHING INTERSECTIONS:
1. IDENTIFY OPEN ZONE
2. SEARCH RIGHT AND LEFT
3. LOOK FOR LINE OF SIGHT RESTRICTIONS

THROUGH INTERSECTIONS
1.
CONTINUE IF CLEAR
2.
ALWAYS CONTINUALLY SCAN RIGHT & LEFT
3.
LOOK FOR TRAFFIC SIGNALS OR OTHER MOVING VEHICLES
4.
REMEMBER, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CHANGE LANES
WITHIN AN INTERSECTION!

POINT OF NO RETURN:
THE POINT BEYOND WHICH YOU
CAN NO LONGER STOP SAFELY WITHOUT
ENTERING AN INTERSECTION.
(NORMALLY ABOUT 2 SECONDS FROM
INTERSECTIONS)

FROM A STOP AT AN
INTERSECTION
1. LOOK 90 DEGREES TO THE
RIGHT AND LEFT
2. WHEN TURNING LAST CHECK
SHOULD BE YOUR INTENDED
PATH OF TRAVEL
3. IF WAITING BEHIND
ANOTHER VEHICLE, WAIT AT
LEAST 1 SECOND AFTER IT
BEGINS TO MOVE

CONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS
TWO KINDS OF SIGNS
STOP:
MUST MAKE FULL STOP
BEHIND STOP LINE,
CROSSWALK, OR
INTERSECTION
YEILD:
SLOW AND YEILD RIGHT OF WAY
TO VEHICLES ON THROUGH
STREET

WHAT KIND OF
INTERSECTION IS THIS?
• CONTROLLED, 4 WAY STOP

WHERE WOULD YOU STOP?
• BEFORE THE SIDE WALK

• BEFORE YOU ENTER THE INTERSECTION
AND CAN SEE CLEARLY.

WHERE WOULD YOU STOP?
• BEFORE THE CROSSWALK

WHERE WOULD YOU STOP?
• AT THE WHITE STOP LINE

WHERE WOULD YOU STOP?
• AT THE STOP LINE

WHAT KIND OF
INTERSECTION IS
THIS?
• CONTROLLED, WHITE LINE TELLS US THERE IS A
STOP SIGN, HIDDEN BY THE TREES!

WHAT KIND OF
INTERSECTION IS THIS?
• CONTROLLED, THEY HAVE STOP SIGNS

WHAT KIND OF
INTERSECTION IS THIS
• CONTROLLED, WITH YEILD SIGNS
• REMEMBER, NEVER ASSUME THEY WILL STOP!

BLOCKED VIEW AT AN
INTERSECTION
1.
2.
3.
STOP AND SCAN, THEN
SLOWLY CREEP
FORWARD
KEEP CHECKING RIGHT &
LEFT, STOP BEFORE
FRONT BUMPER ENTERS
INTERSECTION
WHEN YOU HAVE AN
OPEN GAP FROM BOTH
DIRECTIONS THEN
PROCEDE

JOINING
TRAFFIC:
1. SCAN BEFORE YOU REACH
INTESECTION
2. SIGNAL EARLY
3. STOP AND IDENTIFY A 7 SECOND GAP
4. LOOK TO TARGET AND ACCELERATE
TO TURN
5. ADJUST TO TRAFFIC AND CHECK
REVIEW MIRROR

CONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS
WITH SIGNALS
RED
YELLOW
GREEN
TURNING ARROWS

STALE GREEN LIGHT:
HAS BEEN GREEN A
LONG TIME PREDICT
IT WILL TURN TO
YELLOW
SIGNALS
FRESH GREEN LIGHT:
HAS JUST TURNED GREEN
BE SURE NO ONE IS IN CROSS WALKS
AND NO ONE IS RUNNING THE RED LIGHT

YELLOW LIGHT:
MUST DECIDE TO PROCEDE OR STOP (PNR)
IF CLOSE TO INTERSECTION, THEN PROCEDE
IF TOO FAR (3-4SEC), THEN YOU MUST STOP
BUT! ALWAYS CHECK REVIEW MIRROR BEFORE YOU MAKE
YOUR DECISION

CHAPTER 7
RED LIGHT
WHEN APPORACHING CHECK
REVIEW MIRROR BEFORE YOU BRAKE
STOP FAR ENOUGH BEHIND OTHERS SO
THAT YOU CAN SEE THEIR REAR TIRES
COME TO COMPLETE STOP AT THE “STOP
LINE”

UNPROTECTED LEFT TURNS
MADE AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL THAT DOES NOT HAVE A TURNING
ARROW.
MUST YEILD TO ON COMIONG TRAFFIC
WHEN GAP IS LARGE ENOUGH THEN MAKE TURN
IF LIGHT TURNS RED WHILE YOU ARE IN THE INTERSECTION, MAKE
TURN AFTER ALL VEHICLES HAVE STOPPED

PROTECTED LEFT TURNS
LEFT TURN LIGHT/GREEN ARROW:
PROCEDE ONLY WHEN INTERSECTION IS
CLEAR AND EVERYONE ELSE HAS STOPPED
DELAYED GREEN LIGHT:
ONE SIDE OF TRAFFIC HAS A LONGER
GREEN LIGHT THAN THE OTHER

RIGHT TURNS ON RED
MUST COME TO COMPLETE STOP
MOVE INTO POSITION TO SEE CLEARLY
SEARCH FRONT ZONES FOR OPENING
YEILD RIGHT OF WAY TO ANY PEDESTRIAN OR VEHICLE
TURN INTO NEARSET LANE OF TRAFFIC GOING SAME
DIRECTION

RIGHT ON RED
• MAKE SURE IT IS LEGAL TO TURN!

APPROACHING TRACKS
• SCAN MAKE SURE YOU CAN SEE FAR
ENOUGH BOTH DIRECTIONS
• COVER BRAKE
• SLOW DOWN AS YOU CROSS

RAILROAD CROSSINGS
MUST STOP BEHIND LINE
WAIT FOR GATES TO GO ALL THE WAY UP
CHECK BOTH WAYS FOR MULTIPLE TRAINS
CAFREFULLY PROCEDE ONLY WHEN CLEAR

UNCONTROLLED
INTERSECTIONS
HAS NO SIGNS OR TRAFFIC CONTROLS
USUALLY FOUND IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS
TREAT LIKE A YEILD SIGN
COVER BRAKE AND SCAN
NEVER ASSUME ANOTHER DRIVIER WILL YIELD!

DETERMINING RIGHT OF WAY
RIGHT OF WAY:
PRIVILEGE OF HAVING IMMEDIATE
USE OF A CERTAIN PART OF A ROADWAY

SITUATIONS WHERE YOU
MUST YIELD RIGHT OF WAY
1. TO ALL PEDESTRIANS
2. ALL TRAFFIC ON THROUGH STREET
3. VEHICLES STILL IN INTERSECTION
4. COMING FRM AN ALLEY, DRIVEWAY, OR PRIVATE
ROADWAY
5. TO EMERGENCY VEHICLES
6. AT FOUR WAY STOP TO THE VEHICLE ON THE
RIGHT OR THE VEHICLE THAT GOT THERE BEFORE
YOU
7. WHEN TURNING LEFT AT AN INTERSECTION
8. ANYTIME NECESSARY TO PREVENT A COLLISION!
ESPECIALLY AT UNCONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS
9. AND OF COURSE, AT YIELD SIGNS

SITUATIONS WHERE YOU MUST
YIELD:
PEDESTRIANS!

WHO HAS THE RIGHT OF
WAY?

WHO HAS THE RIGHT OF
WAY?

WHO HAS THE RIGHT OF
WAY?

WHO HAS THE RIGHT OF
WAY?

WHO HAS THE RIGHT OF
WAY?

WHO HAS
THE RIGHT
OF WAY?
• THEY WILL, STOPPED BEFORE US

WHO WILL HAVE THE RIGHT OF
WAY?
• DEPENDS WHO GETS THERE FIRST
• IF AT THE SAME TIME, WE WILL

JUDGING
TRAFFIC GAPS
1. CROSSING AN INTERSECTION 4-5
SECONDS EACH WAY
2. TURNING RIGHT, TAKES LONGER, 6
SECONDS OR MORE
3. TURNING LEFT, MOST DANGEROUS, 7
SECONDS OR MORE