When you’re learning how to drive for the first time, one of the terms that you’ll come across pretty often is ‘Right of Way’. As the name suggests, the Right of Way is the legal right of a vehicle or pedestrian – and in a general sense, it includes vessels, too – to proceed with precedence over others in a specific situation or place. So, understanding Right of Way when you’re out driving is vital to ensure smooth traffic flow, and that no one gets caught in an accident.
But, on the open road, how does the Right of Way work, and in different situations, who gets the Right of Way? This is especially important when you’re coming across intersections, junctions, merging lanes, or pedestrian crossings. It’s worth noting too that Right of Way can differ from one state to another a tiny bit, but they generally stay the same. Otherwise, misunderstanding the Right of Way could lead to traffic violations, accidents, or worse, injuries.
So, here’s everything you need to know about the Right of Way and how to drive courteously and politely on the road:
1) Right Of Way Rules At Intersections
When you’re coming across an intersection, here’s how the Right of Way works:
Four-Way Stops
At a four-way stop, the common rule here is that the first vehicle to arrive at the stop has the Right of Way, and thus, priority to get precedence. Otherwise, if two vehicles arrive at the stop simultaneously, the vehicle to the right gets priority.
This is known commonly as the “yield to the right” rule to prevent confusion. If three or more vehicles arrive at the same time, then proceed in a clockwise order, once again, by providing more priority to the vehicle on your right.
Left Turns
As you’re making a left turn at an intersection, you have to yield to oncoming traffic that is going either straight or turning right. This is due to the fact that when making a left turn, you’re crossing the path of oncoming traffic, which is dangerous.
Then, wait until it’s safe to proceed. On top of that, drivers turning left at an intersection also have to watch for pedestrians crossing in front of you or crossing paths with you. When you arrive at an intersection, pedestrians generally get the Right of Way.
Minor Roads vs Main Roads
At intersections, vehicles coming from minor or secondary roads have to yield to vehicles that arrive from main roads. This Right of Way rule is designed to make sure that vehicles that are arriving from roads with much more traffic can move more smoothly.
Otherwise, if you’re exiting from private roads, driveways, or alleys and are coming across an intersection, you have to yield to traffic coming from public roads. This is meant to prevent a collision where traffic from less visible or slower-moving roads merges with heavily congested or faster-moving roads.
Traffic Signals
If you’re ever confused about the Right of Way, traffic signals play a pretty important role in managing who gets priority and when. Here’s how this works:
- Green Light – This gives the Right of Way for you (the driver) to proceed straight or turn when you see a green light at an intersection. Granted, be wary of any restrictions or obstacles.
- Red Light – When you see a red light at an intersection, you have to completely stop and yield to other traffic, until the light changes back to green.
- Yellow Light – If you see a yellow light at an intersection, you should prepare to slow down and stop – not accelerate (which is what most people do, hazardously) – as the light will turn red.
2) Right Of Way Rules At Pedestrian Crossings
Other than that, if you come across pedestrian crossings, here’s how the Right of Way rules work:
Marked vs Unmarked Crosswalks
Regardless of whether you arrive at a marked or unmarked crosswalk, pedestrians have the Right of Way, so be sure you remember this, all you motorists out there! It’s always a good idea to slow down since not all pedestrians or crosswalks are easily visible.
For those of you who are curious about how they work:
- Marked Crosswalks – A pedestrian path that’s been explicitly painted and designated with clearly painted lines.
- Unmarked Crosswalks – Appearing usually at intersections, they may not have painted lines, but they suggest areas where pedestrians are assumed to cross.
Stopping For Pedestrians
When you see a pedestrian arrive at a crosswalk, in most states, the driver has to come to a complete stop, not just yield. This is particularly so if the pedestrian is on or is entering the crosswalk. So, make sure you, as the driver, remain vigilant of pedestrian crosswalks.
Besides that, and this is a mistake I’ve noticed way too often, make sure you don’t stop on the crosswalk itself and block it. If you do that, you’re basically forcing pedestrians to walk around your car to get to the other side.
Areas With High Foot Traffic
Pay close attention to places with high foot traffic, like school zones or residential areas. This also includes very busy urban streets, city centers, and other congested places where you may notice higher foot traffic, where lots of cars and pedestrians move around each other.
When it comes to the Right of Way rules here, make sure you obey school crossing guards and signals, as well as reduce your speed and watch for pedestrians at all times. You might also find special rules in high-foot traffic areas, like reduced speed limits.
Pedestrian Signals
Speaking of, some pedestrian crosswalks and paths might have signals, especially at specific intersections. So, if you turn at intersections where you notice these pedestrian signals, you must pay close attention to the signal lights and make sure pedestrians can cross safely.
Here’s how they work:
- Walk – If you notice the “Walk” signal, this signal allows pedestrians to cross, so drivers must stop completely and give them the Right of Way.
- Don’t Walk – Meanwhile, if you notice the “Don’t Walk” signal, this indicates that pedestrians have to stop crossing and allow vehicles to pass through, instead.
Another specific rule for intersections, if you notice the “Walk” pedestrian signal when you’re turning your car into an intersection, you must yield to pedestrians and allow them to safely pass.
3) Right Of Way Rules When Merging
There are additional Right of Way rules that you have to remember when you’re merging from one road to another, so here’s how they work in different situations:
Merging Onto Highways
When you merge onto a highway or freeway, every vehicle in the merging lane – such as when you’re arriving at the end of an entrance ramp – must yield to vehicles that are already on the highway. I understand that this can be rather daunting for new drivers, but it’s not that bad.
When you’re merging onto a highway or freeway, you should use acceleration lanes to match your car’s speed with ongoing traffic and merge safely without causing other drivers to brake suddenly or have to swerve out of the way. Using your mirrors and turn signals properly also helps to communicate your intentions with other drivers.
Merging In Construction Zones
Most construction zones have their own specific lanes to merge or shift, and the same rules do apply here, too. Basically, drivers in the lane that is ending – due to construction work or other obstacles – have to yield to drivers in the continuing lane.
You might’ve also noticed that construction zones are marked clearly with signs and cones that help to direct traffic flow. Not to mention, there are usually (way) reduced speed limits to ensure that everyone can move around safely. So, make sure you pay close attention, and some other tips I’d recommend is to merge earlier between lanes and reduce your speed.
Zipper Merge Technique
In specific situations, you might have to apply the “Zipper Merge”. This happens when drivers alternate their merges amongst each other, taking turns to join the main lane. This is a really efficient way to merge traffic, without causing backups or impeding traffic flow, due to there being obstructions on the road.
When you come across sudden road closures and construction zones, using the Zipper Merge alongside other drivers helps everyone get to where they’re going, in time. The key is to make sure that you maintain a steady speed and allow enough space for merging vehicles to enter the main lane smoothly.
4) Right Of Way Rules With Emergency Vehicles
Whenever you notice emergency vehicles – i.e. police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, etc. – here are the Right of Way rules that you need to follow:
- Pulling Over – When you notice emergency vehicles approaching behind or near you with their flashing lights and sirens, you – and other drivers – have to yield. The proper way of going that is by pulling over to the right side of the road, coming to a complete stop, and letting emergency vehicles pass on your left. If you’re at an intersection, you should continue through before then pulling over once you notice that it’s safe to do so.
- After Emergency Vehicles Pass – Now, once the emergency vehicle passes by, you have to keep alert and only proceed after it’s safe to continue driving. Remember that there might be more than just one emergency vehicle responding to the same incident – i.e. multiple fire trucks that need to put out a large fire – so make sure that you stay off to the side of the road until they’ve all passed safely.
- Failing To Yield – If you think you can get away with it – don’t! Not giving proper Right of Way to emergency vehicles does have its consequences. At the very least, you’re dealing with heavy fines, or get points on your driver’s license, and worse of all, you might even get jail time. It’s considered a pretty serious offense in some places, given that blocking emergency vehicles is likely to delay their response times, and may even endanger other lives.
5) Right Of Way Rules With Cyclists
When it comes to cyclists, we drivers have to be wary that Right of Way rules apply to both you and them, too. So, here’s how it works:
- They’re Considered As Vehicles – In a lot of places, cyclists are treated the same as vehicles, so they have the same rights on the road. Therefore, if you’re passing a cyclist, you have to yield, just as they would to other motor vehicles, as we’ve discussed so far. So, make sure you keep an eye out at intersections, especially when you notice a bike lane. Bike lanes have their own markings, so as a driver, don’t block or encroach on these areas.
- Passing Cyclists Safely – When you’re passing by a cyclist, you have to remember that they’re not as stable as you are – 2 wheels vs 4 wheels. As such, be sure that you leave a reasonably safe distance between your car and them – at least 3 feet or more – to avoid side-swiping or startling the cyclist. This will be crucial when you’re turning or are changing lanes. Also, it’s worth bearing in mind that different states have different minimum passing distances, too.
- Coming To An Intersection – Now, at an intersection, cyclists going straight have the Right of Way over vehicles turning left or right. So, as the driver of a motor vehicle, you must yield to cyclists in bike lanes or other designated bicycle crossings, and make sure you’re aware that they’re there when you’re turning. A handy tip I’d recommend is using your side mirrors and checking your car’s blind spots to prevent colliding with a cyclist.