Who has priority?

[Janine]

After a couple of near misses at a road junction near my house, I posed this question on our local Facebook page. The answers were both varied and, in some cases, downright frightening!

At a crossroads, two cars have approached from opposite directions and stopped at the give way markings.

Edit: The red car is turning left, the purple car is turning right to travel in the same direction.
Edit #2: Ignore the blue car - it doesn’t exist

Who has priority?
A. The one driving the biggest car.
B. The one who got to the junction first (by a nanosecond).
C. The one turning right.
D. The one turning left.
E. No-one. Quickest off the mark wins.

 

[pappajohn]

You pass on the passenger side so neither car passes in front of the other and both go at your leisure.
That's the official way and often will be marked as such.

 

[Yorick]

The man

 

[Janine]

You pass on the passenger side so neither car passes in front of the other and both go at your leisure.
That's the official way and often will be marked as such.

Sorry I missed a bit out. The red car is turning left, the purple car is turning right to travel in the same direction.

 

[Janine]

The man

I was going to add F. The Blonde - but thought that might be sexist!

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[Manic]

I would say red car, when the blue one has gone.

 

[ChrisL]

If they are both turning right, unless otherwise indicated on the road they should pass each other then turn right so passing behind each other, otherwise the car turning right gives way to the other car if it is proceeding straight ahead or turning left.

Edit: And they both give way to the blue car.

 

[Eggs]

From that picture I would guess the red car has priority.

 

[pappajohn]

Red car..... Out and gone before the purple car gets half way across.... Unless like round here, they sit and stare at each other.

 

[pappajohn]

If they are both turning right, unless otherwise indicated on the road they should pass each other then turn right so passing behind each other, otherwise the car turning right gives way to the other car if it is proceeding straight ahead or turning left.

You didn't read the edit either then.

They are both turning left.

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[ChrisL]

You didn't read the edit either then.

They are both turning left.

I posted before the edit

 

[Eggs]

You didn't read the edit either then.

They are both turning left.

If both cars are going to end up going in the same direction both cars can't be turning the same way.

 

[Trevor Wbm]

In this instance, right turning traffic gives way to oncoming traffic.
What the oncoming traffic does after crossing the give way or stop line is irrelevent.

 

[ElliesBoss]

Thought the Highway Code more or less says, if in doubt, give way to traffic from the right. So if the purple car started moving and I was the driver of the red car I would give way. That is purely my personal take.

 

[Colino]

The blue car passes between both cars. The purple car then pulls out behind blue car then red car pulls out behind purple car.

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[movan]

If there are enough accidents, there will soon be staggered traffic lights there. That's what's happened here.

Edit.. Bloomin eck I didn't even see the blue car. Doh. Obviously him.

 

[RobbyMClark]

Blue - red - purple

Unless one is a BMW and another is an audi. Then duck!!!

 

[Janine]

As many varied and interesting answers as before!

So it hinges on whether the purple car turning right is already travelling on the carriageway it is joining, therefore the red car has to give way to it?

 

[Janine]

Okay, lets take the blue car out of the equation.

If the red car is turning left and the purple car is turning right to travel in the same direction, who has priority?

 

[RobbyMClark]

Red

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[Speve]

You didn't read the edit either then.

They are both turning left.

You had better read it again yourself?

 

[Eggs]

Okay, lets take the blue car out of the equation.

If the red car is turning left and the purple car is turning right to travel in the same direction, who has priority?

That's what I thought you meant to start with, the red car is positioned to go straight ahead or turn left, the purple car is tight up to the centre line positioned to turn right.

 

[acropolis22]

Okay, lets take the blue car out of the equation.

If the red car is turning left and the purple car is turning right to travel in the same direction, who has priority?

Whoever is in more of a hurry? Just wave him/her on, I say.

 

[Odd-no-more]

purple car, it will pass in front of the give way lines which the red car is behind

 

[Larrynwin]

Replace the red and purple cars with Motorhomes and sit and wave

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[Landy Andy]

Purple because the area they are pulling into is clear first.
Blue-purple-red.

 

[ChrisL]

Priorities
The general rule for priorities when emerging from crossroads is that right turning traffic should give way to oncoming traffic. The vehicle with the priority in the following examples is the same as if the two minor side roads were one major road, however do not assume that the other driver will comply.

Despite not having priority the other driver may want you to proceed first and therefore you need to learn to watch and anticipate the other driver's actions.

I think this should help clarify the situation.

 

[DBK]

The red car has priority as the general rule is right turning traffic gives way to other vehicles.

 

[Janine]

I can't find anything in the Highway Code to clarify it.

 

[DavidG58]

But if red car chooses not to indicate , the purple car should presume he is going straight on and wait

that would be my tactic if I lived near

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