Talk:Traffic/Rules of the Road merge archive

Rules of the road are the general practices and procedures that road users follow, especially motorists and cyclists. They govern interactions with other vehicles and pedestrians. The basic traffic rules are defined by an international treaty under the authority of the United Nations, the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. Not all countries are signatory to the convention and, even among signatories, local variations in practice may be found. Driving safely is usually easier if a driver can adapt to both written and unwritten local rules of the road.

These rules should be distinguished from the mechanical procedures required to operate one's vehicle. See driving.

Highway code

In many countries, the rules of the road are codified, setting out the legal requirements and punishments for breaking them.

In the United Kingdom, the rules are set out in the Highway Code, including some obligations, but also a lot of other advice on how to drive sensibly and safely. For this second set of advice, it states: Although failure to comply with the other rules of the Code will not, in itself, cause a person to be prosecuted, The Highway Code may be used in evidence in any court proceedings under Traffic Acts to establish liability. Many of its ex-colonies still retain this notice.

In the United States, traffic laws are regulated by the states and municipalities through their respective traffic code. The federal government's Department of Transportation has some control over road signage and vehicle safety, and limited control over the Interstate highway system (which is actually built and maintained by the states). However, all state vehicle or traffic laws have common elements. These include the mandatory automobile insurance requirement, right-of-way rules, the basic speed rule (go only as fast as is safe under the circumstances up to the maximum posted speed limit), and the requirement to stop after an accident. The most common state-by-state variation is in maximum speed limits; for example, rural states like Montana have speed limits as high as 75 mph (120 km/h), but Oregon has a maximum speed limit of 65 mph (104 km/h) and Hawaii has a maximum of 55 mph. (88 km/h).

Priority

As well as the side of the road, priority rules also differ between countries. In the United Kingdom, priority is always indicated by signs or road markings, in that every junction has a concept of a major road and minor road (except those governed by traffic lights). In most of Continental Europe, the default priority is to give way to the right, but this default may be overridden by signs or road markings. In France, until the 1980s, the "priorité à droite" (give way to the right) rule was employed at most roundabouts, in that traffic already on the roundabout had to give way to traffic entering the roundabout. Most French roundabouts now have give-way signs for traffic entering the roundabout, but there remain some notable exceptions that operate on the old rule, such as the Place de l'Étoile around the Arc de Triomphe. Traffic on this particular roundabout is so chaotic that French insurance companies deem any accident on the roundabout to be equal liability. The default give-way-to-the-right rule used in Continental Europe causes problems for many British and Irish drivers who are accustomed to having right of way by default unless they are specifically told to give way.

4-way stop intersections

In the United States and Canada, there are many 4-way intersections with a stop sign at every entrance. In this case, the default rule is:

1. Whichever vehicle stops first has priority.
2. If two vehicles stop at the same time, priority is given to the vehicle on the right.
3. If three vehicles stop at the same time, priority is given to the two vehicles going in the same direction.
4. If four vehicles stop, drivers usually use gestures and other communication to establish right-of-way. In some areas, the custom is for the north-south or the more-trafficked road to have priority, although this is rare.

Overtaking

Overtaking refers to a manoeuvre that is in effect passing slower vehicles travelling in the same direction. On two-lane roads, when there is a split line or a dashed line on the side of the overtaker, drivers may overtake when it is safe. In some areas on multi-lane roads in certain jurisdictions, overtaking is permitted in the 'slower' lanes.

Lanes

The usual designation for lanes on divided highways is the fastest lane is the one closest to the center of the road, and the slowest to the edge of the road.

In the United States, the inside lane refers to the fastest (left-most lane), but in the United Kingdom, it refers to the slowest lane. Because the UK drives on the left, the inside lane is the left lane.

Usually, drivers are expected to keep in the slowest lane unless overtaking, though with more traffic, often all lanes are used. Many areas in North America do not have any laws about staying to the slowest lanes unless overtaking. In those areas, unlike many parts of Europe, traffic is allowed to overtake on any side, even in a slower lane. This practice is known as overtaking on the inside and sometimes 'undertaking', in the United Kingdom; in United States it is called passing on the right.

U.S. state-specific practices

Furthermore, in some U.S. states such as Massachusetts, although there are laws requiring all traffic on a public way to use the right-most lane unless overtaking, this rule is often ignored and seldom enforced on multi-lane roadways.

In other states like California, cars may use any lane on multi-lane roadways. Slower drivers are strongly encouraged to stay in the rightmost lanes to keep the way clear for faster vehicles, and thus speed up traffic. However, faster drivers can merely pass in the slower lanes if they wish. But the California Vehicle Code also requires trucks to stay in the right lane, or in the right two lanes if the roadway has four or more lanes going in their direction. The oldest freeways in California that pre-dated this rule often have ramps on the left, making signs like "TRUCKS OK ON LEFT LANE" or "TRUCKS MAY USE ALL LANES" necessary to override the default rule.