Right-of-Way, Intersections, and Railroad Crossings
Key Takeaways
- Tennessee frames right-of-way as something to be given, not taken; even when another driver should yield, you must avoid a crash when possible.
- At all-way stops, the first vehicle to stop goes first; if vehicles arrive at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
- Drivers turning left must yield to oncoming vehicles going straight or turning right, unless a protected green arrow gives the left-turn movement.
- Drivers entering from driveways, alleys, parking lots, roads that end at a T intersection, and roundabout approaches must yield to traffic already using the through road or circle.
- At railroad crossings, stop between 15 and 50 feet from the tracks when a train is approaching, signals are active, a gate is lowered, or a flagger directs traffic to stop.
Right-of-Way, Intersections, and Railroad Crossings
Right-of-way questions are really conflict-avoidance questions. Tennessee's manual makes the point that the law tells who must yield; it does not give a driver permission to force the issue. If another road user makes a mistake, slow down, yield, and avoid the crash.
Intersection Checks
Before entering any intersection, use a left-right-left scan and look ahead for a blocked lane. Do not enter unless you can clear the intersection. Last-second lane changes, passing in an intersection, and stopping in the middle after the light changes are unsafe and can be illegal.
| Situation | Tennessee rule to apply |
|---|---|
| All-way stop | Everyone stops. The first to stop goes first. If tied, yield to the vehicle on your right. |
| No signs or signals | Yield to a vehicle already in the intersection and, if arriving together, to the vehicle on your right. |
| T intersection | Traffic on the road that ends yields to traffic on the through road. |
| Left turn | Yield to oncoming vehicles going straight or turning right, plus pedestrians crossing your path. |
| Driveway, alley, parking lot, or roadside | Yield to traffic already on the main road and to pedestrians on the sidewalk. |
| Roundabout or traffic circle | Yield to traffic already circulating, enter to the right, and travel counterclockwise. |
| Merge onto a highway | Adjust speed and yield if needed to join the existing traffic stream safely. |
| Green light with stopped traffic ahead | Wait outside the intersection until there is room to clear it. |
Pedestrians and Emergency Vehicles
Yield to pedestrians in marked or unmarked crosswalks. In an active marked school zone with warning flashers, stop for a pedestrian in the crosswalk and remain stopped until that pedestrian has crossed the roadway you are on. Tennessee also requires special care for blind or visually impaired pedestrians using a white cane, white cane with red tip, or guide dog; stop and avoid using the horn.
When an emergency vehicle approaches with a siren, air horn, or red or blue flashing light, move as close as practical to the right edge or curb and stop until it passes. Tennessee's Move Over rule also requires drivers approaching a stopped authorized vehicle with flashing lights to move into a nonadjacent lane when safe, or slow down if moving over is not possible.
Railroad Crossings
Railroad crossings use multiple warnings: round advance signs, crossbucks, pavement markings with RR, stop lines, gates, flashing lights, and sometimes flaggers. Slow early and never stop on the tracks. If a train is approaching or a crossing device is active, stop between 15 and 50 feet from the nearest rail.
Never drive around a lowered gate or start across until every track is clear. A train on one track can hide another train on a second track. Church buses, school buses, passenger carriers, and vehicles carrying hazardous materials may be required to stop at railroad crossings even when no signal is active, so expect them to slow or stop.
School buses create a separate stop rule. When a school or church bus has red warning lights flashing and its stop arm extended, stop and remain stopped until the warning devices are withdrawn and the bus begins to move. On roads divided by a median or physical barrier, the opposite side may have different requirements, but traffic behind the bus must stop.
At a Tennessee all-way stop, you and a vehicle on your right stop at the same time. A pedestrian then steps into the crosswalk in front of you. What should you do?
You reach a railroad crossing where the gate is still lowered, but the last car of a train appears to have passed. What is the safest legal choice?