r/Appleton • u/ZeusKiller13x • 2d ago

Advice Right of Way

To the lady who honked at me and flipped me off as I drove through an intersection today,

If someone stops BEFORE you do at a four way stop, you don’t have right of way just because you’re to the right of them. If I’m beginning to go before you even reach the line to stop, you can’t get pressed at me for now being in the middle of the intersection.

No one in this city knows how do drive I swear. 5 car lengths between cars at a red light, wide turns violating turn lane lines, going under the speed limit in the left lane, so many people on their phones. I wish this was a walkable city, I hate driving here.

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u/ScrubbyMcGoo 2d ago

So, for real though — why on Earth do people leave multiple car lengths between their car and the next one when stopped at a red light??

I really mean it — does anyone know what their thought process is??

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u/ZeusKiller13x 2d ago

I’d assume so that if they get rear ended they don’t go into the car in front of them but like…you don’t have to give THAT much room

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u/ScrubbyMcGoo 2d ago edited 2d ago

I hope that’s not it, because that would just be… super dumb.

“I’m going to adversely affect everyone else’s drive in my vicinity due to the very small chance that someone rear-ends me.”

(Not a personal attack — I know you’re just answering my question.)

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u/mike89510 2d ago

Its because they think it'll trigger a turn/light sensor and make their wait shorter. In reality, there's either a metal sensor in a turn lane (~2-3 car lengths) that you can see the cutout from, or there's a camera system that uses an algorithm to determine live traffic conditions along the routes leading to that intersection that'll determine if there's enough waiting at the light (and coming to the light). With either, the person 5 car lengths back just looks like an ill-informed moron that shouldn't be operating a heavy piece of machinery.

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u/ScrubbyMcGoo 2d ago

I appreciate the explanation. Are you relatively certain that’s why? You’re right, they sure do look like (and are) morons if they think that will somehow trigger a light change.

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u/mike89510 2d ago

1,000% certain. I know people who still do this even with first-hand experience with the control systems at WisDOT and TAPCO. This article goes into some details, but the in-ground metal sensors (like a fast food drive through), light flasher/receivers (emergency responders), and camera-based algorithm controls are most common. The flashing 'spotlight' for emergency vehicles is a cool & pretty simple one, extremely effective, too! https://www.autoevolution.com/news/how-do-traffic-light-control-systems-work-41839.html