Intersections

Chapter Summary: Intersections

Mastering intersections begins with understanding the default priority rule: at an unsignposted junction, you must always yield to vehicles approaching from your right. This fundamental principle is superseded by traffic signs and signals. Furthermore, vehicles on paved roads have priority over those entering from unpaved roads. An absolute rule to remember is that trams and other rail vehicles always have priority over all other road users at intersections without specific signage.

Specific types of intersections have their own clear-cut rules. In roundabouts, priority is always granted to vehicles already circulating within the circle; you must yield before entering. When navigating narrow passages, the regulations depend on the situation. On steep grades, the vehicle traveling uphill has the right of way. On flat, narrow roads, the first vehicle to enter has priority. If two vehicles arrive simultaneously, a specific hierarchy based on difficulty of maneuver determines who proceeds first.

A core principle of safe driving is yielding appropriately to others. You must always make way for emergency vehicles using their lights and sirens, typically by moving to the right or stopping. It is also mandatory to yield to cyclists on their designated lanes and to pedestrians or animals crossing a road you are turning into, even if no formal crossing is marked. Finally, the instructions given by authorized roadworks personnel are absolute; their signals override all other traffic rules and signs and must be obeyed immediately.

Tunnels and level crossings demand special precautions. In a tunnel, maintain a safe following distance of at least 100 metres. If you are stopped for more than two minutes, switch off the engine but keep your sidelights on. In the catastrophic event of a fire, pull to the right, turn off the engine, leave the keys in the ignition and the doors unlocked, and evacuate immediately. At level crossings, a moving barrier is an unequivocal command to stop and wait until it is safe to proceed.