LicenseSim guide
Four-way stops: who goes first
At a four-way stop every vehicle must stop. Who moves first is decided by who arrived first, not by who is biggest, fastest, or most confident.
What a four-way stop actually requires
- 1Come to a complete stop behind the stop line — not in the crosswalk, and not a rolling stop.
- 2The first vehicle to arrive has the right of way.
- 3If two vehicles arrive at the same time, the vehicle on the right goes first.
- 4Never enter the intersection while another vehicle is still crossing, even if you arrived first.
Practicing it in LicenseSim
The Four-Way Stop lesson puts you at an intersection with a stop sign on every approach, and cross traffic that arrives on its own schedule rather than waiting politely for you.
Arrival order is tracked
Stop at your stop line and you take your place in the queue.
First in goes first
Cross traffic that reached its own stop line before you goes first.
Nobody is pushed into a crash
Vehicles hold while you are in the intersection, so no one is driven into.
Out of turn is called out
Pull into the intersection while another vehicle still has the right of way, and a warning tells you that you went out of turn.
Where new drivers get it wrong
Treating the stop as a pause
The simulator checks that the car actually came to a stop.
Stopping well short of the line
Stop too far back and the intersection never reads as clear.
Waiting when it is your turn
Once it is your turn and the intersection is clear, the right move is to go.
Assuming first-come, first-through
That is not how it works when two cars arrive together — the one on the right goes first.
Related guides
- Traffic signs and signalsStop signs, yield signs, speed limits, school zones, and traffic lights, and how each one is checked.Read this guide
- Using a driving simulator as a new driverWhat the simulator can and cannot teach you, how the lessons and the virtual license work, and which devices it supports.Read this guide
Common questions
Who goes first if two cars stop at exactly the same time?
The vehicle on the right goes first. In the simulator, arrival order is tracked from the moment each vehicle reaches its own stop line.
Do I have to stop if I can see the intersection is empty?
Yes. A four-way stop means every vehicle stops, whatever the road looks like. Rolling through fails the lesson.
What happens if I go out of turn?
You get an on-screen warning that the vehicle which arrived first has the right of way. The cross traffic holds rather than driving into you, so you can recover and try the junction again.
Ready to try it?
Open the simulator and drive this yourself. No account needed — sign in later if you want your progress saved.
