Q: If you’re on a street with two lanes going the same direction, is it legal to change lanes while going through an intersection?

A. Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Doug Schlief, head of traffic enforcement, says yes, as long as it’s safe. He said it’s one of those things that many drivers believe to be illegal. But he cautioned that it’s illegal to turn onto another street — either left or right — from the far lane of such a street.

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Q: I live near a four-way stop at a flat location with good visibility of other cars approaching the stop. I’ve noticed that cars will stop a fair distance behind the stop line (I’m talking 10-12 feet — far enough back that they should be able to see how far short of it they are), in what I assumed is an attempt to “beat” another car to the stop and then get going again. My question is, is there a rule about how close you have to get to the white “stop” line before stopping? Or is it enough that you’ve stopped, somewhere, within the sight of other drivers?

A: CHP Officer Jon Sloat says you are required to stop at the line before proceeding. He says if your view is obstructed you can creep forward after stopping and go through the intersection when safe but you must stop. And you can’t stop with your front tires on or over the line, he says.

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