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Monday, July 07, 2008

Great Question!

"Joe-

I do not have the time to go to the MVA and get a booklet and research it. I wish to know who has the right of way in this particular situation. The intersection I'm using just happens to be one I encounter a problem at pretty much every day. Ok.....lets say I am traveling from S. Division Street in Fruitland, MD towards RT. 13. I have stopped at the stop sign to make sure no traffic is headed South so that I may freely cross. I cross and now I am in the median, at the stop sign between the north and south bound lanes of traffic. There is a vehicle that has just pulled up at the stop sign across from me {still on S. Division but wishing to turn onto 13 and go south}. I am waiting for traffic to clear, so that I may make a left and go 13N. Do I have the right of way since I am in the middle of 13 technically still on the highway? I am finding that more and more I am turning at the exact same moment the person is attempting to get into the median. I feel I have the right of way, but then again don't we all. :}~ Thanks so much for your time and assistance in this. Oh and on another note {just happens to be at this same intersection} there are signs posted on the south bound lane that states no left turn, and on the north bound lane that states no left turn. It cracks me up to see people do it anyway. And all the time too. Just waiting for someone to get rear ended b/c they slam on their brakes to make the turn and meanwhile they have a vehicle going 60 right behind them. Thanks again and keep up the great work. You truly are appreciated by the majority of us.

Sincerely,

What road rules?"

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

No. You do not have the ROW in this situation.

Rt. 13 should be thought of as two separate roads for this analysis.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you could change your route. Take S Division to Camden North. From Camden R on Main St and go to stop light at Rt 13. Might be safer. Not sure who has r.o.w. but it is a dangerous intersection where the issue is.

Anonymous said...

§21–401.
Except at through highways, or as otherwise provided in this subtitle, a vehicle at an intersection:
(1) Has the right-of-way over any other vehicle approaching from the left; and
(2) Shall yield the right-of-way to any other vehicle approaching from the right.

Anonymous said...

§21–601.
(a) If the driver of a vehicle intends to turn right at any intersection, he shall approach the intersection and make the right turn as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.
(b) If the driver of a vehicle intends to turn left at any intersection or crossover, he shall approach the intersection or crossover in the extreme left-hand lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the same direction.
(c) If the driver of a vehicle intends to turn left at any intersection or crossover, the driver shall, after entering the intersection or crossover, make the left turn so as to leave the intersection in a lane lawfully available to traffic moving in the same direction on the roadway being entered.
(d) (1) The State Highway Administration or any local authority may place a traffic control device at or near any intersection in its jurisdiction and, with it, direct that vehicles turning at the intersection travel a course different from one specified in this section.
(2) At an intersection where a traffic control device is placed under this subsection, the driver of a vehicle may not turn otherwise than as directed by the device.

Anonymous said...

Dont waste your time at the MVA. They probably don't know either.

Here is a link to the Transporation Article. It is where I got the two comments above.

http://www.dsd.state.md.us/comar/Annot_Code_Idx/TransportIndex.htm#Title%2021

LetterWriter said...

The other day I was in north Salisbury crossing the road that exists between Sam's Club and Walmart. I was stopped on the Sam's Club side, checking to see if the coast was clear to cross over to Walmart's side. I waited for the oncoming car on Walmart's side to turn left, since they got there before me and I wanted to be polite. Then I started to go straight across the road when the next car in the oncoming lane decided that it was their turn to make a left turn right in front of me, cutting me off and nearly getting them struck in their passenger door.

So what do these classy morons do? They give me the finger!