Priority - For benefit of Galileo

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Sat 29 Feb 2020 20:10
Priority - For benefit of Galileo - HGV ~ P Valentine
No insurance with a slight twist. - galileo

I had a run in with the police about a junction and I said to him that unless road signs indicate otherwise or you are directed by an official person you should be giving way to traffic from your right, his reply was since when has that been the case ( or something like that ) to which I replied always.

It may have been 'always ' in France, known as 'priorite a droite' but was brought in here to apply at roundabouts, especially 'mini' roundabouts.

Yet again a factoid not supported by the Highway Code or Road Traffic Acts.

(Driver since 1961, myself)

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Sat 29 Feb 2020 15:30

No insurance with a slight twist. - A Driver since 1988, HGV 2006

Most situations at junctions give priority to traffic from the right, so no it is not factually wrong. But enlighten me on a situation where you think traffic from the right would normally have right of way ???

If you are coming to a junction and turning left, there is a car coming from your right would you actually expect them to stop on the main road to give way to you ???

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I have put this on but probably not a legal matter, but did not know where else to put it. Galileo believes that traffic from your right has right of way ( unless of course road signs indicate otherwise ), above the line is a copy of the message he left and since he is the 2nd person that has said it to me the other being a police officer, I am interested in knowing if anyone else thinks the same.

So according to Galileo at the junction on a roundabout traffic from the right does not have right of way, if approaching a junction where the road markings are to worn to be seen he thinks that he does not have to give way to traffic from the right.

It concerns me greatly that there may be others who have a licence ( I am assuming he does ) but have not grasped the most basic rules concerning who does or does not have priority.

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Sat 29 Feb 2020 20:41
Priority - For benefit of Galileo - Brit_in_Germany

Excuse me but you were the one claiming traffic to the right had priority. Galileo was simply pointing out that this applies only on roundabouts (and in France). The position in the UK for an unmarked crossing is that noone has priority.

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Sat 29 Feb 2020 21:39
Priority - For benefit of Galileo - galileo

Excuse me but you were the one claiming traffic to the right had priority. Galileo was simply pointing out that this applies only on roundabouts (and in France). The position in the UK for an unmarked crossing is that no-one has priority.

Thank you, Brit, nice that someone can read and understand my post.

(For the benefit of "Driver", I do have a licence, clean for 58 years and passed the IAM advanced driving test.

Edited by galileo on 29/02/2020 at 21:50

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Sat 29 Feb 2020 22:08
Priority - For benefit of Galileo - Middleman

I have a sneaky suspicion this will run and run (based on past experience). :-)

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Sun 1 Mar 2020 08:34
Priority - For benefit of Galileo - jc2

Excuse me but you were the one claiming traffic to the right had priority. Galileo was simply pointing out that this applies only on roundabouts (and in France). The position in the UK for an unmarked crossing is that noone has priority.

At MOST roundabouts in France but not all!

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Sun 1 Mar 2020 09:26
Priority - For benefit of Galileo - Bromptonaut

In terms of 'from the right' roundabouts are a red herring. The entrance to a roundabout is a normal give way marking. Because roundabouts are one way, clockwise in the UK, then the traffic you give way to is from the right.

In the normal UK give way scenario, ie a T junction, you give way to traffic from either direction.

French roundabouts work in the opposite sense to UK; circulation is counter clockwise. In the vast majority of cases joining traffic yields to that on the roundabout which is approaching from the left.

Pre c1990 prorite a droit appied on French roundabouts so traffic on the roundabout would yield to vehicles joining. There may be a very small number, in urban situations, where the old rule still applies although I suspect that it's so counter intuitive that priority is rarely taken.

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Sun 1 Mar 2020 11:16
Priority - For benefit of Galileo - Middleman

The “priorité à droite” rule in France applies at places other than at roundabouts. In fact it applies everywhere unless there are signs to the contrary. On main roads outside of towns and villages it is usually suspended and the indication that this is so is a yellow diamond. When the next town or village is reached it is usually restored by means of a yellow diamond with a black line through it. The situation on roundabouts has been complicated because there are now two types of roundabout in France: one where “priorité à droite” prevails (where traffic joining the roundabout has priority over that already on it) and one where it does not (where traffic already on the roundabout has priority). This second type is becoming increasingly more commonplace. Normally on motorways “priorité à droite” does not apply (so joining traffic must give way to that already on the motorway). However, on the “péripherique” (the ring road round Paris) it does, so joining traffic is entitled to barge in to that already there (though in practice it’s a bit of a free for all). It’s quite a complex topic, too long to explain fully here and this article explains it in more detail:

www.thelocal.fr/20190808/how-does-priorit-droite-r...e

Edited by Middleman on 01/03/2020 at 11:17

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Sun 1 Mar 2020 11:30
Priority - For benefit of Galileo - Brit_in_Germany

Germany has a similar system, referred to as "rechts vor links", including the yellow diamond.

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