Theory Mastery

Giving priority versus letting go first: two terms, not synonyms

What the exam asks here: 'Giving priority' and 'letting go first' sound in ordinary Dutch like two ways of saying the same thing.

14 minutes · 7 sections · 9 questions

The trap

Many learners think: 'Giving priority' and 'letting go first' mean exactly the same thing in traffic law and are used interchangeably.

The rule is: 'Giving priority' and 'letting go first' are two separately defined terms. 'Giving priority' belongs to crossing traffic; 'letting go first' belongs to your own special manoeuvre such as driving off or merging, and to a separate duty toward blind and mobility-impaired people

Challenge

'Giving priority' and 'letting go first' sound in ordinary Dutch like two ways of saying the same thing. The book, however, uses them as two separately defined terms, each with its own situation and its own law article — anyone who mixes them up loses exactly the distinction that CBR exam questions often lean on.

Read this section on its own page: Challenge: Giving priority versus letting go first: two terms, not synonyms

The model

'Giving priority' belongs to crossing traffic at a junction. 'Letting go first' belongs to your own special manoeuvre — driving off, leaving a driveway, merging, reversing — and to a separate, always-applying duty toward blind and mobility-impaired people (Book p.37).

Read this section on its own page: The model: Giving priority versus letting go first: two terms, not synonyms

Core

Letting the other driver continue on their way unhindered — braking in time, stopping at the right spot. This is the term for crossing traffic: the rechts-regel at an equal-rank junction, or the rule at a priority road. Letting go first belongs to a completely different category: your own special manoeuvre — driving off from the side of the road, leaving a driveway or private property, merging onto another road, reversing. In all these cases you are the one doing something special, and you must let all other traffic go first. The book also gives a third, separate application of 'letting go first': you must always let people with a white cane and people who have difficulty moving around go first — that 'always' makes it a general traffic duty, not tied to one junction type or manoeuvre. The two terms are therefore not synonyms: 'giving priority' governs who may go first in crossing traffic; 'letting go first' governs what you must do when you yourself undertake something special, plus that one absolute duty toward vulnerable pedestrians.

Read this section on its own page: Core: Giving priority versus letting go first: two terms, not synonyms

Why it matters

The difference is not just theory: at the driveway in Wolvega you are required to let ALL traffic go first, even a cyclist you could easily have gone ahead of — whereas further on, at the ordinary junction, you only have to give way to whoever comes from the right. Anyone who confuses the terms wrongly thinks that at a driveway 'only cars from the right' count.

Read this section on its own page: Why it matters: Giving priority versus letting go first: two terms, not synonyms

Active recall

At a crossing point in Gouda, a person with a white cane is walking on the road, not at a zebra crossing, but simply between two junctions. Must you let her go first?

Read this section on its own page: Active recall: Giving priority versus letting go first: two terms, not synonyms

Teach back

Explain: for which kind of situation does the book use 'giving priority', for which kind 'letting go first', and which separate duty falls under the second term?

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Memory hook

Giving priority = crossing traffic. Letting go first = your own manoeuvre + always toward blind people.

Read this section on its own page: Memory hook: Giving priority versus letting go first: two terms, not synonyms

Source: RVV 1990 art. 1 · RVV 1990 art. 15 · RVV 1990 art. 54 · checked 2026-10-22

The picture

Two terms, two contexts (p.36-37)Giving priorityLetting go firstContextcrossing traffic at a junctionyour own special manoeuvre (driving off, driveway, merging, reversing)Legal frameRVV art. 15RVV art. 54Special extensionn/aalways toward blind/mobility-impaired people (Book p.37)
What to look at: Giving priority = crossing traffic at a junction. Letting go first = your own special manoeuvre (driving off, merging, reversing) and always toward blind/mobility-impaired people.

Signs and law

Test yourself

At a hardware-store exit in Wolvega you reverse out onto the road. Further along, at an ordinary junction, another driver must let you go first because you come from the right. Does the book use the same term for both situations?

Show the answer

'Giving priority' belongs to crossing traffic at a junction. 'Letting go first' belongs to your own special manoeuvre — driving off, leaving a driveway, merging, reversing — and to a separate, always-applying duty toward blind and mobility-impaired people (Book p.37).

Exam questions on this topic

About Giving priority versus letting go first: two terms, not synonyms: which statement is WRONG?

  1. The duty to let people with a white cane go first only applies at a zebra crossing, not elsewhere.
  2. A driveway is precisely a special manoeuvre with its own duty.
  3. 'letting go first' belongs to your own special manoeuvres and to the duty toward blind/mobility-impaired people, anywhere in traffic — not tied to a junction. 'Giving priority' is precisely the junction term.
  4. 'Giving priority' and 'letting go first' are two separately defined terms. 'Giving priority' belongs to crossing traffic; 'letting go first' belongs to your own special manoeuvre such as driving off or merging, and to a separate duty toward blind and mobility-impaired people.
Show the answer

Correct answer: The duty to let people with a white cane go first only applies at a zebra crossing, not elsewhere.

'You must always let these people go first in traffic: people with a white cane, people who have difficulty moving around.' The word 'always' makes this a general duty in traffic, not limited to the zebra crossing

Why learners get this wrong: A driver leaving an exit is covered by no rule at all: neither 'giving priority' nor 'letting others go first' applies there.

Open this question

At a crossing point in Gouda, a person with a white cane is walking on the road, not at a zebra crossing, but simply between two junctions. Must you let her go first?

  1. No — that duty only applies at a zebra crossing
  2. Yes — that duty always applies, not only at a zebra crossing
Show the answer

Correct answer: Yes — that duty always applies, not only at a zebra crossing

The book says 'always', with no location restriction

Why learners get this wrong: The duty to let people with a white cane go first only applies at a zebra crossing, not elsewhere.

Open this question

About Giving priority versus letting go first: two terms, not synonyms: which statements are correct? (multiple answers possible)

  1. 'letting go first' belongs to your own special manoeuvres and to the duty toward blind/mobility-impaired people, anywhere in traffic — not tied to a junction. 'Giving priority' is precisely the junction term.
  2. 'You must always let these people go first in traffic: people with a white cane, people who have difficulty moving around.' The word 'always' makes this a general duty in traffic, not limited to the zebra crossing.
  3. A driver leaving an exit is covered by no rule at all: neither 'giving priority' nor 'letting others go first' applies there.
  4. 'Giving priority' and 'letting go first' mean exactly the same thing in traffic law and are used interchangeably.
Show the answer

Correct answer: 'letting go first' belongs to your own special manoeuvres and to the duty toward blind/mobility-impaired people, anywhere in traffic — not tied to a junction. 'Giving priority' is precisely the junction term.; 'You must always let these people go first in traffic: people with a white cane, people who have difficulty moving around.' The word 'always' makes this a general duty in traffic, not limited to the zebra crossing.

A driveway is precisely a special manoeuvre with its own duty

Why learners get this wrong: A driver leaving an exit is covered by no rule at all: neither 'giving priority' nor 'letting others go first' applies there.

Open this question

At a hardware-store exit in Wolvega you drive out onto the public road. A cyclist approaches from the left. Which term applies here?

  1. Neither term — a driveway has no rule of its own
  2. Letting go first — you are carrying out a special manoeuvre
  3. Giving priority, and only if the cyclist comes from the right
Show the answer

Correct answer: Letting go first — you are carrying out a special manoeuvre

Why learners get this wrong: A driver leaving an exit is covered by no rule at all: neither 'giving priority' nor 'letting others go first' applies there.

Open this question

Statement: 'giving priority' and 'letting go first' are two words for exactly the same concept and can be used interchangeably.

  1. True
  2. False
Show the answer

Correct answer: False

Why learners get this wrong: 'Giving priority' and 'letting go first' mean exactly the same thing in traffic law and are used interchangeably.

Open this question

Near Wolvega you drive from a driveway across the pavement onto the road. A cyclist approaches from the left, a car from the right. A little further on you reach an equal-rank junction where a car is also coming from the right. What do you do at these two places?

  1. At both places you only let the car from the right go, it is the same rule
  2. Out of the driveway you simply pull away; only at the junction does the car from the right go first
  3. Out of the driveway you let the cyclist and the car go; at the junction the car from the right
Show the answer

Correct answer: Out of the driveway you let the cyclist and the car go; at the junction the car from the right

False — you think 'letting go first' only matters at junctions. When leaving a driveway, pulling away or merging you let other traffic go first, also away from a junction

Why learners get this wrong: 'Giving priority' and 'letting go first' mean exactly the same thing in traffic law and are used interchangeably.

Open this question

In which situations does the book use the term 'letting go first'? (multiple answers possible)

  1. Reversing
  2. A person with a white cane who wants to cross, anywhere
  3. An ordinary equal-rank junction where someone comes from the right
  4. Driving off from the side of the road
Show the answer

Correct answer: Reversing; A person with a white cane who wants to cross, anywhere; Driving off from the side of the road

Why learners get this wrong: 'Letting go first' is a term that only applies at junctions, just like 'giving priority'.

Open this question

You approach a situation and are unsure which term applies. Put the assessment in the correct order.

Answer options: Also always check separately: is there a blind or mobility-impaired person? You let them go first regardless · Determine whether you yourself are carrying out a special manoeuvre (driving off, driveway, merging, reversing) · If not, and it is simply crossing traffic at a junction: apply 'giving priority' · If so: apply 'letting go first', to all other traffic

Show the answer

Correct answer: Determine whether you yourself are carrying out a special manoeuvre (driving off, driveway, merging, reversing); If so: apply 'letting go first', to all other traffic; If not, and it is simply crossing traffic at a junction: apply 'giving priority'; Also always check separately: is there a blind or mobility-impaired person? You let them go first regardless

First determine whether you yourself are doing something special (letting go first), otherwise it is crossing traffic (giving priority); the duty toward blind people always runs separately alongside that.

Open this question

In Gouda someone with a white cane is crossing in the middle of a quiet residential street, far from any zebra crossing. Statement: since there is no zebra crossing, you do not have to let her go first here.

  1. True
  2. False
Show the answer

Correct answer: False

Why learners get this wrong: The duty to let people with a white cane go first only applies at a zebra crossing, not elsewhere.

Open this question

Frequently asked questions

‘'Giving priority' and 'letting go first' mean exactly the same thing in traffic law and are used interchangeably’ – is that true?

No. 'Giving priority' and 'letting go first' are two separately defined terms. 'Giving priority' belongs to crossing traffic; 'letting go first' belongs to your own special manoeuvre such as driving off or merging, and to a separate duty toward blind and mobility-impaired people

‘'Letting go first' is a term that only applies at junctions, just like 'giving priority'’ – is that true?

No. 'letting go first' belongs to your own special manoeuvres and to the duty toward blind/mobility-impaired people, anywhere in traffic — not tied to a junction. 'Giving priority' is precisely the junction term

‘The duty to let people with a white cane go first only applies at a zebra crossing, not elsewhere’ – is that true?

No. 'You must always let these people go first in traffic: people with a white cane, people who have difficulty moving around.' The word 'always' makes this a general duty in traffic, not limited to the zebra crossing

‘A driver leaving an exit is covered by no rule at all: neither 'giving priority' nor 'letting others go first' applies there’ – is that true?

No. A driveway is precisely a special manoeuvre with its own duty

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