Basic traffic theory
11. 11. Right of way and yielding
If everyone starts driving at the same time it becomes chaos! That is why right-of-way rules have been made. But pay attention — you do not just have the right of way, you have to receive it! So always keep paying attention!
What does right of way mean?
When you are cycling on the road, you may encounter traffic coming from a side road. You then need to know well whether or not you may go first. Sometimes you have to stop to let someone else go first. You must yield. Sometimes someone else has to stop to let you go first. You must receive the right of way.
Right of way therefore means: being allowed to go first.
In traffic, right of way is a very important concept. Every single day, everyone who takes part in traffic must know who has the right of way. If someone does not know this or is unsure, accidents happen. So pay close attention!
What are the most important rules:
Who has the right of way?
1. The big five always have the right of way over all other traffic. The big five are:
- Police car with blaring siren
- Fire truck with blaring siren
- Ambulance with blaring siren
- Funeral procession
- Military convoy
The groups have priority over each other in the order in which they are listed. So a police car with a siren has priority over a fire truck with a siren, an ambulance with a siren, a funeral procession and a military convoy.
There are a number of traffic signs that indicate who has the right of way or who must yield.
Priority road. You must receive the right of way from all drivers coming from the left and from the right.
End of priority road. The priority road ends here.
Priority intersection. You must receive the right of way from all drivers coming from the left and right.
Intersection with priority road. You must stop and yield to drivers coming from the left and right.
Intersection with priority road (STOP sign). You must stop and remain stationary and yield to drivers coming from the left and right. At this sign you must also stop even if no traffic is coming.
When these signs are present, the right of way is regulated. If these signs are not there, the "normal" right-of-way rules apply.
The rules:
- The big five!
- A driver on a priority road has the right of way over a driver approaching that road, even if the priority road makes a bend.
- At an equal-priority intersection, a driver coming from the right has the right of way.
- At an equal-priority intersection, drivers yield to drivers of motorized vehicles.
- A driver coming from an unpaved road must yield to drivers on a paved road coming from the left and/or right.
- Through traffic going straight ahead on the same road has priority over turning traffic on that road. This applies to pedestrians too!
- A driver turning right has priority over a driver turning left.
- At a T-intersection, all traffic on the continuing road has priority over traffic on the road that ends.
Two more very important rules!
- Drivers must let blind and visually impaired people, carrying a white cane with one or more red rings, and all other people who have difficulty moving, go first.
- Drivers must let pedestrians and drivers of a mobility vehicle, who are crossing at a pedestrian crossing or who are clearly about to do so, go first.
If you want to practice with right-of-way situations, click here.
On the following page we explain the rules with examples.
All traffic rules are laid down in a law. Below is a section from the law about "yielding and right-of-way rules."