Road Test Tips, Goshen, NY?

Road Test Tommorow, Do I yield the right of way to a car thats about to stop to the right? NY?

• Hello, I'm taking my road test tommorow. I've had many hours of practice and have almost everything down. I've only had issues with yielding to the right of way. I will be taking it in Lockport, NY. The question is, say I'm sitting at a stop. A Car to the right is nearing the stop sign. Will I have to stay stopped until they stop and pass, or can I go ahead? Also, tips appreciated!

• Answer:

  When two cars come up to an intersection that's controlled by a stop sign, the first person to get there gets the right of way (actually, the other person is supposed to yield the right of way to the first person to get there). If two cars come up to an intersection controlled by a stop sign at the same time, you're supposed to yield the right of way to the person on your right. So, if you come up to an intersection and come to a complete stop just before another car stops at the intersection, and that car is on your right, they should yield the right of way to you, since you got there first. Also, notice how I keep saying that the other person should yield the right of way, not that the first person or the person on the right has the right of way. This is because you don't just enter into an intersection - even if the other person was supposed to give you the right of way - if doing so will cause a collision. Yes, the other person would be wrong in not yielding. But, you could also be determined to be at fault if you took the right of way and that resulted in the collision. BTW - When I took my California driver's test some 30+ years ago, I had a similar situation where I was going down a boulevard and a car started to cross in front of me from a side street controlled by a stop sign (I didn't have a stop sign). I hit the brakes and swerved to avoid the collision, and the inspector dinged me 5 points for not taking the right of way when it was mine. Or, I could have just plowed through the other car and failed the test. Go figure.