Give Way priority question

[Teuchter]

Following an incident last week where a taxi driver (why is it always taxi drivers?) and I had a disagreement over right of way, I'd like to throw this one to the general populace here. So as not to bias responses, I'll say in a later post what actually happened.

The road layout is two minor roads joining a major road with give-way junctions, directly opposite each other. Both vehicles approached the junction on the minor roads from opposite directions, one wishing to go straight ahead, the other turning right. They reach their respective give way lines at about the same time (see the diagram).

The highway code doesn't seem to mention this specific situation but as I see it, the correct approach would follow one of the following two contradictory options:

1) Vehicle A has to give way to vehicle B because B is crossing A's give way, effectively as traffic on the main road coming from A's right.

or

2) Vehicle B have to give way to A because to turn right, B would be cutting across A's path.

I'll add that whichever turns out to be correct, in this situation I will retain the moral high ground as even if my interpretation of the rules of the road was wrong, the taxi driver's subsequent reactions were completely out of all proportion to anything I did. More on that later.

 

[Markymark]

I have always taken it as A having priority (No.2) but I'm not sure that is backed up by the HC

 

[Teuchter]

[QUOTE 2565674, member: 259"]Is this a poll? [/quote]
I didn't create it as a poll in case there were other options or different logic to what I presented.

 

[Velo711]

B is turning right. B gives way(waits), until oncoming A is past.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

B gives way..unless A is a Bus when B will get mown down anyway so B has right to get outta there pdfq

 

[Pat "5mph"]

B is turning right. B gives way(waits), until oncoming A is past.

^^^^^^
This!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

B gives way..unless A is a Bus when B will get mown down anyway so B has right to get outta there pdfq

If B stations themselves properly, they should be safe from A

 

[Thomk]

It is likely that A will have priority because he will enter the conflicted part of the road first. That is the crucial point. In this situation whoever enters the lane first had priority.

 

[PK99]

Following an incident last week where a taxi driver (why is it always taxi drivers?) and I had a disagreement over right of way, I'd like to throw this one to the general populace here. So as not to bias responses, I'll say in a later post what actually happened.

The road layout is two minor roads joining a major road with give-way junctions, directly opposite each other. Both vehicles approached the junction on the minor roads from opposite directions, one wishing to go straight ahead, the other turning right. They reach their respective give way lines at about the same time (see the diagram).

View attachment 26713

The highway code doesn't seem to mention this specific situation but as I see it, the correct approach would follow one of the following two contradictory options:

1) Vehicle A has to give way to vehicle B because B is crossing A's give way, effectively as traffic on the main road coming from A's right.

or

2) Vehicle B have to give way to A because to turn right, B would be cutting across A's path.

I'll add that whichever turns out to be correct, in this situation I will retain the moral high ground as even if my interpretation of the rules of the road was wrong, the taxi driver's subsequent reactions were completely out of all proportion to anything I did. More on that later.

Straight through has priority over tuning.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

If B stations themselves properly, they should be safe from A

Not if facing a Worthing Coastliner bus...they have the god given right to drive head on at you on th ewrong side of the road...

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

All things being equal, I'd expect B to turn after the oncoming A. However, at a junction only yesterday I was in the position of A but the vehicles turning right were several tons heavier than me. Any notional priority comes way below the priority of my own safety.

 

[Teuchter]

It is likely that A will have priority because he will enter the conflicted part of the road first. That is the crucial point. In this situation whoever enters the lane first had priority.

So if B had already crossed their line by the time that A reach theirs, B would have priority?

 

[Pat "5mph"]

All things being equal, I'd expect B to turn after the oncoming A. However, at a junction only yesterday I was in the position of A but the vehicles turning right were several tons heavier than me. Any notional priority comes way below the priority of my own safety.

So if B had already crossed their line by the time that A reach theirs, B would have priority?

Well, B should be able to see A approaching the junction, wait accordingly just over the line but not crossing, that if B's left is clear, otherwise they need to wait behind the give way line.
@deptfordmarmoset I remember many moons ago my driving instructor saying do not hesitate at junctions or others will think you give way.

 

[I like Skol]

Here's my take on this FWIW.

IMO scenario 2 is the correct one. The giveways apply to giving way to traffic on the crossing/major road. As both vehicles A and B approach they presumably have no vehicles crossing their paths on the major road so the giveways are effectively cancelled. This makes the situation into a much simpler case of two vehicles driving towards each other down a straight road and one wants to turn across the path of another. I will end my waffle here because I think we can all see where it is going

 

[benb]

Here's my take on this FWIW.

IMO scenario 2 is the correct one. The giveways apply to giving way to traffic on the crossing/major road. As both vehicles A and B approach they presumably have no vehicles crossing their paths on the major road so the giveways are effectively cancelled. This makes the situation into a much simpler case of two vehicles driving towards each other down a straight road and one wants to turn across the path of another. I will end my waffle here because I think we can all see where it is going

Nicely put. I knew that B should give way, but couldn't articulate why.