At a junction in Deventer the priority road sign (orange-and-white diamond) stands for your direction of travel. A driver approaches from the right out of a side street that has no sign of its own. Who must give way here?
- ✓ The driver from the side street, because your priority sign comes first
- You, because traffic from the right has priority at a junction
- You agree on it together, because the side street has no sign of its own
Correct answer: The driver from the side street, because your priority sign comes first
Explanation
False — without a sign in the side street there is still a rule. The priority road sign for your direction settles priority for the whole junction, so the driver from the side street gives way to you. Even where there is no sign at all, you fall back on a rule (right goes first), never on agreeing between yourselves.
Why learners get this wrong
- Wrong: you apply the basic rule without looking at the order of rank. A traffic sign ranks above the traffic rules; the priority road sign therefore overrides the rule that traffic from the right goes first.
- Wrong: without a sign in the side street there is still a rule. The priority road sign for your direction settles priority for the whole junction, so the driver from the side street gives way to you. Even where there is no sign at all, you fall back on a rule (right goes first), never on agreeing between yourselves.
Topic: The hierarchy: which sign wins when they conflict
Read the rule: Core: The hierarchy: which sign wins when they conflict
Sections
- Challenge: The hierarchy: which sign wins when they conflict
- The model: The hierarchy: which sign wins when they conflict
- Core: The hierarchy: which sign wins when they conflict
- Why it matters: The hierarchy: which sign wins when they conflict
- Active recall: The hierarchy: which sign wins when they conflict
- Teach back: The hierarchy: which sign wins when they conflict
- Memory hook: The hierarchy: which sign wins when they conflict