Stopping at Intersections

Understanding when and how to stop at intersections is essential for safety and legality in California.

🛑 Stop Signs

• Come to a complete stop behind the:

  • Limit line
  • Crosswalk, or
  • Entrance to the intersection

• After stopping:

  • Look for other traffic
  • Follow right-of-way rules:
    • First come, first go
    • Or yield to the vehicle on your right if arriving at the same time

At 4-way stops, courtesy waves can help, but the right-of-way rules apply first.

• No “rolling stops”: You must stop completely — wheels must stop turning, and you should pause briefly

  “California rolls” are frequently ticketed, especially at right turns and stop signs.

📏 Limit Lines and Crosswalks

• A limit line is a wide white line across a lane indicating where to stop

  • Stop before your front tires cross the line

• If there’s no limit line:

  • Stop before the crosswalk
  • If no marked crosswalk, stop at the edge of the intersection where you can see traffic clearly

Never block a crosswalk with your vehicle

🚶 Pedestrian Crossings

• Even with a green light, if a pedestrian is in the crosswalk, you must yield
• Illegal to drive through a crosswalk when a pedestrian is crossing — even if they started against the light
• Be patient:
  • Do not honk
  • Do not inch forward
  • These actions can be considered unsafe or harassment

🚗 Crossing Sidewalks / Sidewalk Line

• When exiting a driveway or alley:
  1. Stop before the sidewalk area
     • Yield to pedestrians
     • Treat it like a stop sign for foot traffic
  2. Then yield to road traffic before entering the street

Always treat sidewalks like roadways when crossing — pedestrians have priority.