Know the Road with the CHP: Do you legally have to keep the road clear for cross traffic?
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- If you're driving on a busy surface street, do you legally have to keep intersections clear for cross traffic? What about driveways?
"There's an anti-gridlock law in California, and the law simply states that you cannot proceed through the intersection until you can safely travel completely through without blocking any side streets," said Sgt. Brian Pennings with the California Highway Patrol.
"If you're traveling down the highway in bumper-to-bumper traffic and you come to a side street, you cannot proceed through that intersection until you can safely travel completely through without blocking side traffic," he explained.
"This law is clearly spelled out in 22526 of the California Vehicle Code and it does not apply to private driveways, it only applies to intersections from public highways that are entering from cross traffic."
"However, the law does apply to railroad tracks and railroad crossings," Pennings added. "If you're in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and you come up to a railroad track, you cannot go across that railroad track until you can safely proceed completely across it without blocking any part of the track."
For other answers from the CHP, go to abc30.com/knowtheroad.
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