Priority at crossroads

[flat tyre]

There's a junction at a cross roads that I have to negotiate frequently. There is a stop sign for traffic in my direction and the same on the opposite site. My question is if there is a car on the opposite side of the crossroads waiting to turn right and I want to go straight on, who has priority? Does it work like a roundabout where you give way to right turning traffic or should right turning traffic give way to oncoming traffic?
I'm a bit confused as I can't find anything specific in the Highway Code about this. Only asking as on many occasions I've been on the receiving end of abuse from right turning drivers who have set off at the same time as I.!

[Cyril Haearn]

Going straight on has priority I think, by default
When driving I stop, apply handbrake, engage neutral and wait until it is clear to turn across the path of other traffic

When cycling, wait, never trust a morton!

[tim-b]

Hi

...who has priority?

Whoever gets moving first, especially where traffic flow makes it obvious, e.g. nothing from my right, but vehicles from their right
From a safety point of view I always want eye contact, people often look right, left, right and miss the "look all around before emerging". You can reinforce that with hand signals, but the straight ahead signal has gone from the Highway Code so be careful
Regards
tim-b

[Paulatic]

The last ten words are the most important.

[tim-b]

Hi
Where's that image from? I don't recognise it from the Highway Code
Thanks
tim-b

[pwa]

There's a junction at a cross roads that I have to negotiate frequently. There is a stop sign for traffic in my direction and the same on the opposite site. My question is if there is a car on the opposite side of the crossroads waiting to turn right and I want to go straight on, who has priority? Does it work like a roundabout where you give way to right turning traffic or should right turning traffic give way to oncoming traffic?
I'm a bit confused as I can't find anything specific in the Highway Code about this. Only asking as on many occasions I've been on the receiving end of abuse from right turning drivers who have set off at the same time as I.!

In what would otherwise be a 50/50 situation, with both parties facing each other and both at Give Way or Stop lines, the party turning right gives way to the party going straight on.

The usual warning to take care and not assume others know the rules applies, but that is the rule. The party turning right cedes priority to the one going straight on.

[Spinners]

No different to a car. You have priority.

[tim-b]

Hi
There are two aspects to this:
"...who have set off at the same time as I.!"
I try to avoid this scenario, which makes priority clear; the one on the major road first has priority

"I've been on the receiving end of abuse from right turning drivers who have set off at the same time as I.!"
"... the party turning right gives way to the party going straight on."
This is correct but less clear to drivers IME

Regards
tim-b

[Paulatic]

From learner driver https://www.learnerdriving.com/ld-syste ... sroads.htm which echoes what I was taught 51 years ago.

[tim-b]

Hi
Thanks for that.
Two sets of key words, "...when emerging from crossroads" and definitely the final ten!
Regards
tim-b

[Mick F]

................. which echoes what I was taught 51 years ago.

I was learning to drive in the summer of 1970 and passed (in Wigan) 21st Dec 1970. That's only 49 years ago!

[soapbox]

Is it not a case of who is crossing the least number of lanes to get where they want to be? So that with two vehicles opposite each other at a crossroads, where one was going straight on and the other turning right, the one turning right has priority because they're only crossing one lane to get where they want to be, as opposed to the vehicle going straight on which has to cross two lanes to get where they want to be.

[pwa]

Is it not a case of who is crossing the least number of lanes to get where they want to be? So that with two vehicles opposite each other at a crossroads, where one was going straight on and the other turning right, the one turning right has priority because they're only crossing one lane to get where they want to be, as opposed to the vehicle going straight on which has to cross two lanes to get where they want to be.

No. Straight on takes priority over right turn. It has been that way since the year dot. It was that way when I passed my driving test in 1978 and it has remained that way. It is worrying that people aren't familiar with such a basic principle.

[soapbox]

Is it not a case of who is crossing the least number of lanes to get where they want to be? So that with two vehicles opposite each other at a crossroads, where one was going straight on and the other turning right, the one turning right has priority because they're only crossing one lane to get where they want to be, as opposed to the vehicle going straight on which has to cross two lanes to get where they want to be.

No. Straight on takes priority over right turn. It has been that way since the year dot. It was that way when I passed my driving test in 1978 and it has remained that way. It is worrying that people aren't familiar with such a basic principle.

Have you an authoritive link/reference for that, please? I'm not here for an argument, and have nothing to back up my understanding, other than a certain logic in that both vehicles should give way to traffic approaching from the right when approaching a main road from a side road, and that at a crossroads, the vehicle turning right is momentarily effectively approaching from the right for the vehicle going straight on. I've just been flicking through my Highway Code and and can't find anything, ditto my theory test book, and Learner Driving Centre online refers only to "The general rule is..."
If I'm wrong (and I'm perfectly happy to be corrected), you're right -it IS worrying that people like me aren't familiar with such a basic understanding! That said, I've never tested my theory out in practice, and would always hold back rather than risk a collision only to be able to say "But I was right!"

[pwa]

Is it not a case of who is crossing the least number of lanes to get where they want to be? So that with two vehicles opposite each other at a crossroads, where one was going straight on and the other turning right, the one turning right has priority because they're only crossing one lane to get where they want to be, as opposed to the vehicle going straight on which has to cross two lanes to get where they want to be.

No. Straight on takes priority over right turn. It has been that way since the year dot. It was that way when I passed my driving test in 1978 and it has remained that way. It is worrying that people aren't familiar with such a basic principle.

Have you an authoritive link/reference for that, please? I'm not here for an argument, and have nothing to back up my understanding, other than a certain logic in that both vehicles should give way to traffic approaching from the right when approaching a main road from a side road, and that at a crossroads, the vehicle turning right is momentarily effectively approaching from the right for the vehicle going straight on. I've just been flicking through my Highway Code and and can't find anything, ditto my theory test book, and Learner Driving Centre online refers only to "The general rule is..."
If I'm wrong (and I'm perfectly happy to be corrected), you're right -it IS worrying that people like me aren't familiar with such a basic understanding! That said, I've never tested my theory out in practice, and would always hold back rather than risk a collision only to be able to say "But I was right!"

I will have to find it in the current Highway Code, but it is what I was taught in 1977-78 and it is what my kids were taught when they learned to drive a few years back. There are two of you in that scenario, both with only one give way/ stop line to cross. The vehicle going straight on has priority. As if you were both meeting on a road with no give way/ stop line to cross. The turning vehicle waits.