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Problem Solvers: Four-way stop rules

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Anger behind the wheel and tempers flare as drivers either run a four-way stop intentionally or just because they don't know the rules.

Just listen to a driver yell out to us through the passenger window.

"Teach these people how to do this, they don't know," he screamed.

It's important to know if the traffic signals aren't working, it's an implied four-way stop, whether or not a stop sign has been placed in the intersection.

We caught up Chris Floyd and family walking a Brookside neighborhood, after navigating their way through several of those four way stops.

He feels a lot like that first driver we heard speak out.

"There’s a lot of horn honking. They can get kind of sticky, nobody knows how they supposed to flow, right?"

Here's how experts say it should work.

The first driver to arrive at a four-way stop has the right of way.

If two vehicles arrive at the same time, always yield to the vehicle to the right.

When arriving head-to-head at the same time at an intersection, and one is turning, the driver going straight has the right of way.

And if all vehicles arrive at the same time?

Experts say there's no good rule of thumb, but they suggest you let the more aggressive driver go first, then proceed with caution.

As for Charlie, he says, "I haven't seen any accidents yet, some near misses for sure, especially on those left hand turns."

So Charlie tells us, drivers are mostly being cautious.

"I will say, people are mostly gracious, waving each other through ."

And remember, no matter whether you think you have the right of way or not… beware of distracted or those aggressive drivers… who don't follow the rules.

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