"Entered an intersection"

[JohnG]

4511.712 Obstructing intersection.
(A) No driver shall enter an intersection or marked crosswalk or drive onto any railroad grade crossing unless there is sufficient space on the other side of the intersection, crosswalk, or grade crossing to accommodate the vehicle, streetcar, or trackless trolley the driver is operating without obstructing the passage of other vehicles, streetcars, trackless trolleys, pedestrians, or railroad trains, notwithstanding any traffic control signal indication to proceed.

New job, new commute. New traffic challenges. There is this one instersection that is backed up so much you can only get a couple cars through each cycle of the light.

- What constitutues "entering" and intersection? Crossing the stop bar/near line of the crosswalk, or actually in the path of cross traffic?

- What consitutes "The other side"? Level with the stop bar? Or out of the path of cross traffic?

Look at this image:



I know I cannot stop in the red shaded areas, and that the green shaded ares are OK. But what about the yellow shaded areas?

I tried waiting behind the stop bar for my exit to clear but folks just succesively drove around me until I pulled forward intot he yellow shaded area on my side. I guess I need to be more aggressive - but that seems like the wrong answer...?

[nonickname69]

If you are blocking cross traffic in any way then you have entered the intersection.

The law says as long as you can cross the intersection and not obstruct other vehicles you are fine. If you cross and the back end of the car is handing into the red area you would be obstructing the intersection.

The left to right traffic bars is properly place as the up and down are to far back (IMHO).

I think you could pull into the yellow area, it seems to me that those stop bars are way to far back from the intersection to accommodate offset crosswalks.

[JohnG]

I think you could pull into the yellow area, it seems to me that those stop bars are way to far back from the intersection to accommodate offset crosswalks.

Thanks for the response. The irony is that although this intersection has sidewalks that are clearly set up for crosswalks there is a "No Pedestrians" sign.

[SgtCHP]

The California Vehicle Code defines and INTERSECTION as:

Intersection

365. An "intersection" is the area embraced within the prolongations of the lateral curb lines, or, if none, then the lateral boundary lines of the roadways, of two highways which join one another at approximately right angles or the area within which vehicles traveling upon different highways joining at any other angle may come in conflict.

All sections that address stopping at intersections stipulate that the vehicle shall stop:

at a marked limit line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection

[JohnG]

The California Vehicle Code defines and INTERSECTION as:



All sections that address stopping at intersections stipulate that the vehicle shall stop:

So... The "intersection" would be the area marked in red, but the rules that regulate 'entering' the intersection specifically state the stop bars?

Fair enough.