Uncontrolled intersections Yield to the right · T-intersections
At an intersection with no STOP or YIELD signs and no signals, the driver who gets there first goes first. If two drivers arrive at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. At a T-intersection, the road that ends yields to traffic on the through road.
CVC 21800(a), (b)(1) · CA Driver's Handbook, "Right-of-Way Rules: Who Goes First?" · CVC 22352(a)(2) (15 mph)Who has the right-of-way at an uncontrolled intersection in California?
The driver who gets there first. If two arrive at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right (CVC 21800(b)(1)).
Why this rule exists
Nobody has a sign telling them to stop, so each driver has to judge it. Slowing down early gives you the time to see who is first and to stop if the other driver does not yield.
Step by step on the road
- Spot it early: no STOP or YIELD signs and no signals.
- Ease off and cover the brake. At a blind intersection the limit is 15 mph.
- Look right first, then left.
- Yield to anyone who got there before you or is already in the intersection, and to a driver on your right who arrives at the same time.
- At a T-intersection where your road ends, yield to the traffic on the through road, from both directions.
- Never count on the other driver to yield: be ready to stop.
Common mistakes
- Driving through a blind corner at 25 mph.
- Expecting a car from the left to yield at a T-intersection, when your road is the one that ends.
- Watching only for cars and missing a pedestrian or cyclist at the corner.
On the DMV drive test
Not moving your head and eyes to make a traffic check at an uncontrolled intersection when a hazard is present is a critical driving error (DL 955). At each intersection you drive through, the DL 32 sheet marks your traffic check, speed and yield, and DL 955 wants you to look ahead, left and right. Do not stop unless a vehicle, cyclist, pedestrian, sign or signal requires it: an unnecessary stop is marked too.
Based on the DMV’s Driving Test Criteria (DL 955) and its score sheet (DL 32). How the drive test works ›Questions people ask
Who goes first at a T-intersection with no signs?
Traffic on the through road. The driver on the road that ends yields to vehicles on the road that continues (CVC 21800(b)(1)).
What is the speed limit at a blind intersection in California?
15 mph. The Handbook counts an intersection with no STOP signs at any corner as blind; the law (CVC 22352(a)(2)) sets 15 mph where you cannot see 100 feet along the cross roads in the last 100 feet.
Do you have to yield to a car that is already in the intersection?
Yes. Yield to any vehicle that has already entered the intersection from another road (CVC 21800(a)), and to pedestrians.
Test yourself
Kees' three questions on this rule, the “Did you know?” facts and his tip come with the drive, in Voorrah! Pro.
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