Florida drivers coming to a 4-way stop sign intersection would stop and proceed in the order the vehicles arrived. If two or more vehicles arrived at the same moment, the vehicle on the right would travel through the intersection first.
How Do I Know When to Go at a Florida 4-Way Stop Sign Intersection?
Drivers can refer to Florida vehicle statutes to find out where they should stop and when they can proceed.
One of the Florida statutes (below) regarding stop sign intersections goes into the proper place to stop when approaching a stop sign. Drivers should stop at the wide stop line if one is present. If there isn’t a stop line there, they should stop before entering a crosswalk. If there is not a crosswalk present, vehicles should pull up as far as necessary to see safely without entering the intersection.
Then, according to the statute, the first to come to a complete stop should proceed first:
Florida Motor Vehicle Statute 316.123
“(b) At a four-way stop intersection, the driver of the first vehicle to stop at the intersection shall be the first to proceed. If two or more vehicles reach the four-way stop intersection at the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right.”
Of course, the statute also instructs drivers to practice good judgment. If another car has pulled so far into the intersection or has not come to a full stop, other motorists should yield the intersection to the reckless driver to prevent a collision.
What Do I Need to Do at a Yield Sign on a Florida Road?
FS 316.123 (3) also covers the driver’s responsibility at a yield sign. Florida motorists approaching a yield sign would first slow down to a reasonable speed. They should be going at a speed that would allow them to stop the vehicle if necessary.
The driver must not proceed unless the roadway is clear of nearby cars and pedestrians. When a driver at a yield sign doesn’t come to a stop and then hits a car or a pedestrian, it would usually be assumed that the yielding driver caused the accident unless there were other evidence available.
What Is the Punishment for Running a Stop Sign?
Blowing past a stop sign in Florida is considered a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a moving violation. FS 318.18 details that a fine for a first offense could start at $60. Court fees will be added to any fine. Financial burdens would run higher if the infraction occurred in a school zone or construction zone.
Points would also be added to the driver’s license. Florida uses a point system to identify people who are reckless and rack up repeated traffic violations. It’s a way to identify someone who is an extreme risk on local streets and highways. A stop-sign runner would earn 4 points. A driver who accumulated 12 points in a year could receive a suspended license for a month.
Motorists should know that a stop-sign violation that leads to an accident will lead to more serious charges and fines. An accident that caused a serious injury or a fatality might result in a felony charge. This can mean jail time and extremely high penalties for offenders.
Get Help Earning Support After a Fort Lauderdale Car Accident
If you or a loved one are seriously hurt because of someone’s mistake at a Fort Lauderdale intersection, you could need the help of a lawyer to recover full compensation for your pain and medical costs.
Allow a Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer to handle the stress and frustration of battling the car insurance companies while you use that time to focus on healing. Contact us to schedule a free consultation and tell us what happened. Let us know about your biggest hardships since the accident and then let us go to work holding an auto insurer fully liable.
If you need our help with your case, you won’t need to have any money to hire us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the car accident settlement check you receive.
