Right Of Way At A Crossroads

[andrew1707]

(You tube clip attached is from Australia but seems to be the same rules as here.)

According to the online Highway Code when stopped at a crossroads waiting to turn right onto the main road, vehicles across from you, on the other side of the crossroads, who are planning to drive straight over have the right of way as the two minor roads should be treated as one road.

Whilst I don't have a problem with this, as it is quite sensible, I am sure that when I learnt to drive in the early/mid '80s, my instructor taught me that the car that was going to end up on the main road always had right of way over those that were going to end up on the minor road.

Does anyone else have any similar recollections? Was I really taught this but the Highway Code has since changed... or am I wrong and have been really p*ssing off the good drivers of Perthshire and Nottinghamshire (and points in between) for the last 30 years.

Andrew

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arALerGkN0w

[EDDIE51]

Does not sound right to me, you mean a driver on a main road has to give way to a car that is trying to turn out of a side road?

[frugalfred]

Been driving since 1964. I have always treated the situation you describe exactly as in your paragraph beginning "According to.....".

[andrew1707]

No. Both drivers are at the give way signs on opposite sides of the main road. Just as in the example in the video at 55 secs.

[ladyalex]

I was taught that if you are turning right at a crossroads you give way to drivers turning to their left or coming straight ahead.
If both are turning right, I seem to remember that they ought to go round each other rather than crossing each others' bows....if there is room. Cannot say that I have seen this done, though.

[frugalfred]

In that situation, ladyalex, I would indicate to the other driver that he/she should proceed, then make my right turn. Defensive driving.

[bhg481]

I agree with both frugalfred's posts.

[TWR]

I've driven in OZ a few times & always treat with caution, the worst place excluding Turkey / Egypt was Cyprus, traffic lights are a joke.

[furrypusscat]

As a retired driving instructor in the 70's, it has always been that whoever is turning right has to give way to drivers going straight ahead. Things have not changed.

[andrew1707]

So it must be a false memory... It was all so long ago.

Thanks everyone

a

[Baldric]

http://www.drivingtesttips.biz/crossroads-junctions.html

[Hypognosis]

Due to the way contemporary drivers hate to do the opposed right turns by the book, cyclists need to remember NOT to pass a stationary vehicle, indicating right, on the inside, especially if it looks to have stopped short of the junction, to make way for the oncoming driver, who cannot see you coming.

Motorcycles might be more inclined to come to a stop and wait for the junction to clear, so long as it is a simple two-lane main road, as depicted.

The worst ones are where it's a dual carriageway main road with a central reservation junction, roadmarked to encourage nearside to nearside passing. Good luck seeing oncoming 70mph traffic *through* the back end of the artic or 4x4 waiting to do its right turn.

[campbellking]

You need to try heeding the rules at a 'four way stop' in America. General rule is that however arrives first goes first, gets quite confusing if you all pitch up at pretty much the same time!

[ToraToraTora]

There is no such thing as "right of way" - the highway code tells you when to give way. The general rule has been that if you intend to cross the path of the car opposite by turning right then you must give way. The video is also correct for UK. Note also that the term "right of way" is not mentioned.