Factors that Determine Right of Way
We have already established that the driver that gets to the intersection first should go first and if two cars get to the intersection at the same time the car to the right should go first. So, what other factors determine right of way? Size and speed are two other factors that determine right of way. In regards to size, the larger road, those with the most lanes, will have the right of way over the smaller road. And the faster road will have the right of way over the slower road. These two factors that determine right of way seem very separate but they generally are found together. This is because the more lanes a road has then generally the speed will be higher. Think about it. A two-lane residential street is only going to have a speed limit of 30 mph. Where as a major multiple lane city street will have a speed limit as high as 45 mph. Now, visualize the two streets meeting. The major city street will have the right of way over the smaller and slower residential street.
Another example of this size and speed concept is anytime we see a private drive or street intersect with a bigger street. This situation happens anytime a person's driveway joins a city street or where a shopping center exit meets a city street. Just remember the smaller one yields to the bigger one which just happens to also be the faster one. The following video demonstrates exactly what a driver should do when making a left onto a multiple lane street from a private driveway.