ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions about the rules of the road every week, helping Orlando-area residents become better drivers by being better educated.
Scott, from Eustis, knows the feeling of frustration that can come with being stuck behind a car blocking lanes of traffic. He wrote and asked Trooper Steve, "Can you please explain what impeding the flow of traffic means?"
When drivers try to cut across intersections to reach lanes on the opposite side of the road, traffic can become impeded, even when the light is green.
Montiero said he recently experienced this situation.
"I was stopped facing north on John Young Parkway just south of Colonial Drive," Montiero said. "As I was facing north, another vehicle began to squeeze its way from a shopping center into the right and center traveling lanes. Then the car came to a complete stop."
Except in emergencies, any instance in which a vehicle is blocking traffic that has the right of way is in violation of the law. This also includes entering an intersection on a green or yellow light and getting stuck in the center of the intersection after the light turns red.
"A huge rule of thumb is you should never begin an action in your car which you cannot complete in full from beginning to end," Montiero said.
Montiero warned against stopping while in the middle of a turn or while crossing lanes.
"It can and will cause a crash," he said.
If you have a traffic question for Trooper Steve, submit it here.