Theory Mastery

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Here the traffic light governs priority. As soon as an instruction, light, or sign is present and working, that governs priority instead

Source: RVV 1990 art. 62 · checked 2026-10-23

How the exam asks it

Late in the evening in Nijmegen you reach a junction where the traffic light is completely dark. There is no sign and there are no shark's teeth. At the same time a car approaches from the right. What do you do?

  1. Whoever reaches the junction first may go through first
  2. You let the car coming from the right go first
  3. You agree with the other driver who goes first
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Correct answer: You let the car coming from the right go first

False — a dark light does not leave a gap in which whoever arrives first may go. Without a sign or working light you fall back on the basic rule: traffic from the right goes first

Why learners get this wrong: At a dark traffic light without signs: whoever reaches the junction first may go first.

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You are approaching a junction in Rotterdam. There are shark's teeth across your lane, but your traffic light is green. Your passenger says: 'Now the light governs priority, not the shark's teeth.' Is that true?

  1. True
  2. False
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Correct answer: True

False — you put the shark's teeth above the light. A working traffic light ranks above shark's teeth and priority signs; on green you may drive on. The shark's teeth only apply again when the light is not working.

Why learners get this wrong: A priority sign (for example shark's teeth or sign B6) outranks a traffic light when the two contradict each other.

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At roadworks in Rotterdam-Zuid there is a white solid line between two lanes. A recognisable traffic controller signals you across that line into the other lane, to follow the diversion. There are no police nearby. What do you do?

  1. You wait until a police officer lets you cross it
  2. You stay in your lane, because the line comes first
  3. You follow the signal and cross the line
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Correct answer: You follow the signal and cross the line

False — you think only the police may give such an instruction. An authorised traffic controller who is recognisable as such also gives instructions you must follow, and they rank above the lines on the road.

Why learners get this wrong: Only a police officer may let you depart from a traffic sign; a traffic controller's signal is not enough for that.

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On one drive through Rotterdam you meet the four situations below. In which situations do you act correctly? (multiple answers possible)

  1. Your light is red, but a recognisable traffic controller waves you on: you drive
  2. The light has failed and there is no sign: you let traffic from the right go first
  3. Your light is green and you turn into a street with the 'no entry' sign
  4. Your light is green, but there are shark's teeth: you let the crossing traffic go first
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Correct answer: Your light is red, but a recognisable traffic controller waves you on: you drive; The light has failed and there is no sign: you let traffic from the right go first

False — you put the shark's teeth above the light. A working traffic light ranks above shark's teeth and priority signs; on green you may go, the crossing traffic has red.

Why learners get this wrong: A traffic light always outranks every traffic sign, even a sign that regulates something completely different from right of way (such as a closure or a speed limit).

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After a storm near Enschede the traffic light at a junction has failed. There are no priority signs and no shark's teeth. Your passenger says: 'Now traffic from the right simply goes first.' Is that true?

  1. True
  2. False
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Correct answer: True

False — you think that without a light and without a sign there is no priority rule left. Then the basic rule applies: at a junction traffic from the right goes first. Not whoever arrives first, and not agreeing among yourselves.

Why learners get this wrong: If a junction has no sign and no working traffic light, no right-of-way rule applies — drivers must simply agree among themselves who goes first.

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