Question

Difficulty: MediumRight-of-Way Rules at Intersections

Four vehicles are approaching a four-way stop intersection under different conditions. Based on standard right-of-way rules, arrange the vehicles in the exact sequence in which they are legally permitted to proceed through the intersection (from first to proceed to last).

  1. 1An emergency vehicle approaching the intersection with its siren sounding and red lights flashing
  2. 2A sedan that arrived and came to a complete stop at the intersection before any other non-emergency vehicle
  3. 3A pickup truck intending to travel straight that arrived at the stop sign at the exact same moment as an oncoming vehicle
  4. 4A delivery van intending to turn left that arrived at the stop sign at the exact same moment as the oncoming pickup truck

Answer

The correct order from first to last is: 1) Emergency vehicle with active siren and lights, 2) Sedan that arrived and stopped first, 3) Pickup truck traveling straight, 4) Delivery van turning left.
Right-of-way rules establish clear priority: active emergency vehicles proceed first, followed by non-emergency vehicles in order of arrival at a multi-way stop. When two vehicles arrive simultaneously from opposite directions, the vehicle continuing straight has priority over the vehicle turning left across traffic.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify emergency vehicles with active lights or sirens
The emergency vehicle gets absolute right-of-way priority over all other road users regardless of stop signs.
Traffic laws dictate that active emergency vehicles must be granted immediate passage.
2
Apply the arrival order rule (first-in, first-out) among non-emergency vehicles
The sedan proceeds next because it reached and stopped at the intersection prior to the other vehicles.
At a four-way stop, the first vehicle to reach a complete stop is the first allowed to proceed.
3
Resolve the simultaneous arrival tie between opposite-facing vehicles
The pickup truck proceeding straight has precedence over the delivery van attempting a left turn.
When arriving at the same time from opposite directions, left-turning drivers must yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic going straight.

Key Concept

Right-of-Way Precedence at Intersections
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