Priority to the right
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Priority to the right is a right-of-way system, in which a driver of a vehicle shall give way to vehicles approaching from the right at intersections. The system is stipulated in Article 18.4.a of the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic for countries where traffic keeps to the right and applies to all intersections where it is not overridden by priority signs (uncontrolled intersections), including side roads and roundabouts (but not paths or earth-tracks).
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[edit] Usage
The system is widely used in countries with right-hand traffic, including most European countries.
What varies, however, is the extent to which uncontrolled intersections do exist at all. In some countries, virtually all roads are controlled with priority signs or traffic lights, while others, such as France, even apply the system on intersections with heavy traffic such as the Place de l'Étoile around the Arc de Triomphe.
The United States still has a number of uncontrolled intersections, where motorists must yield to the right. Increasingly, municipalities across the US have introduced all way stops as a means of controlling the intersections to decrease the likelihood of a collision and to make it easier to determine liability in the event of an accident. At T-Intersections, traffic on the terminating road must yield to all traffic at the termination point.
[edit] Signage
Intersections to which priorty to the right applies are usually not equipped with signage or road markings. Priority signs override the priority to the right rule and are often used on roads with heavier traffic. However, if an intersection is not easily visible, a warning sign (usually a white or yellow triangle with red border and a cross symbol) may be erected. This sign does not regulate priority but just warns of an intersection.
As under the priority to the right system, no road has priority without signage, there need to be signs giving priority at controlled intersections.
 intersection ahead (This is not a priority sign but a warning sign. However, it is only used at intersections where priority to the right applies.) |
 priority at next intersection (This is a warning sign (there is no priority of way at the next junction) and a priority sign.) |
 end of priority road (priority to the right applies at uncontrolled intersections) |
[edit] Priority to the Driver's side
The UK, Ireland and Australia, which drive on the left, use an opposite rule (also termed "priority to the right") on four-way intersections where the roads all have equal priority but not for T-intersections [1]. Most intersections are marked and signed however, so this rule is mostly applied at intersections with failed traffic lights. New Zealand uses priority to the right on all intersections, at least for turning traffic.
[edit] References
- ^ National Road Transport Commission (1999-10-19). "Rule 72, 73", Australian Road Rules. ISBN 0-7240-8874-1.
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