Power outages caused by storm damage Wednesday created confusion at many intersections throughout the area when traffic lights couldn’t do their jobs.
A traffic light that is malfunctioning and therefore not exhibiting colored lights or colored lighted arrows is considered an uncontrolled intersection.
Uncontrolled intersections are those that fail to clearly indicate the assignment of right of way because they are malfunctioning by displaying a combination of lights at the same time or none at all.
Many people think that uncontrolled intersections give the right of way to whoever is most aggressive, but according to the Michigan Vehicle Code, uncontrolled intersections revert back to basic right-of-way rules.
Right-of-way rules dictate that drivers approaching an intersection yield the right-of-way to all vehicles that are traveling through the intersection and could hit them. Once the intersection is clear, they may proceed with caution.
Who goes first when you get there at the same time? You should yield to the driver on your right if you get there at the same time. When multiple people arrive at a 4-way intersection, they should take turns based on who arrived first.
If things get more confusing than that, use caution, courtesy, and assertiveness to safely navigate the situation.
Reporting for WGRT – Jessie Wiegand
