I think it's a well understood rule that if you have cars parked on your side of the road then oncoming vehicles have priority.  But then if you have committed (i.e. before oncoming traffic has arrived on the scene) then you assume priority.  If both arrive at the same time then you give way.  That much is all clear and pretty well understood.  

I was having a discussion the other day regarding this and the other party was of the impression that if the side that should give way had a stream of vehicles coming through then they all have priority even when someone is waiting who normally would assume the priority.

 

Example:  10 cars in a line with first 2 committed to passing parked cars.  Another car arrives in the opposite direction but the line of cars all continue through even though 8 of the 10 are yet to commit.

 

The way I see it is if you cant see that it is clear then you shouldn't go.  Same as entering a yellow box with cars still in it.  What if they stop?

 

What are people views on this?

32 minutes ago, MarkyG82 said:

The way I see it is if you cant see that it is clear then you shouldn't go.

I agree, the trouble is that there are so many impatient drivers who will just follow the vehicle in front and hope they can get past the parked vehicles too.

Edited 8 September, 20223 yr by PetrolDave

Unless the highway code has changed, then neither has "right if way" it's down to the drivers to negotiate this themselves.

 

I have had a clear road, and on opposite a small section of roadworks, someone decided to play chicken with me, was an interesting confrontation.  I had to wait for 30+ cars to pass when I could have proceeded on and cleared it within a 4-5 car lengths.

@varooom I was careful not to put right of way.  HWC only discusses priority (apart from the section saying there is no right of way).

 

In your example did you think about it at all and wonder whether someone should have held back?  I just don't get the mentality that someone in front has gone so I can go.  Is my thinking outdated or are people on the road getting more self absorbed?

5 minutes ago, MarkyG82 said:

are people on the road getting more self absorbed?

Exactly that, for many people it's only about me, me and me

I could talk volumes about poor driving, been there wore the T-Shirt.

 

You would think someone would hold back, use common sense, but sadly most seem to follow the lemming method of blindly following.

 

How many times I have seen a narrowing in the road, where there is this sign...

 

Only to find people carry on ploughing towards you ignoring priority (face slapped into palm moment)

Ok so its' not just me but also my thinking re the priority and line of traffic stands.  Makes me feel better as the person I was discussing it with was quite aggressive about it.

 

Thanks all.

I'd have said that a traffic stream that is still moving has priority over one that has stopped, and thereby ceded priority.

 

The only exceptions to this involve signage and/or road markings.

Then there is the whole giving way to the vehicle coming down a hill if both sides of the road might have become a single vehicles width.  But then people used to very hilly towns roads for years might be inclined to give way to those coming up hill. 

One comparison this person made: "it's the same as a stream of traffic coming from the right at a roundabout".  I pointed out that it's nothing like that as that is the assumed priority already.

 

On the hill front, I would always try to give way to anyone coming up as it's harder to start going again.

^^^ Fair point.

Location location location thing, and did apply in Gardenstown, Pennan, Crovie, Macduff etc,

It certainly was harder to start with a horse and cart or a bicycle, older cars, vans, lorries etc.

 

It was also going to be a hard hit with run away ones coming down hit into you if you could not get out the way.

+3 for hill priority, majority of people do brake downhill/stop to allow those coming up to carry on.

Sadly in some places common sense or good road manners are an urban myth... 🤔

2 hours ago, MarkyG82 said:

I think it's a well understood rule that if you have cars parked on your side of the road then oncoming vehicles have priority.  But then if you have committed (i.e. before oncoming traffic has arrived on the scene) then you assume priority.  If both arrive at the same time then you give way.  That much is all clear and pretty well understood.  

I was having a discussion the other day regarding this and the other party was of the impression that if the side that should give way had a stream of vehicles coming through then they all have priority even when someone is waiting who normally would assume the priority.

 

Example:  10 cars in a line with first 2 committed to passing parked cars.  Another car arrives in the opposite direction but the line of cars all continue through even though 8 of the 10 are yet to commit.

 

The way I see it is if you cant see that it is clear then you shouldn't go.  Same as entering a yellow box with cars still in it.  What if they stop?

 

What are people views on this?

Whoever believes they have the least to lose in a collision with an oncoming vehicle will assert the right of way.

You can argue it until you're blue in the face, but in my experience, that is the unfortunate reality of the situation on the road.

EDIT: I'll rephrase it to sound a little less aggressive: Whoever believes they have more to lose in a collision with an oncoming vehicle will yield right of way.

But the net result as to who gets right of way remains the same, whether ROW is given or taken.

Edited 8 September, 20223 yr by EnterName
reprase added

As far as I am aware, apart from when there are give way signs and road markings there is no official right of way. There is a video on Youtube taken from a lorry which was passing a long line of vehicles parked on the left, and just before he gets to the end a car comes in the opposite direction and stops in front of the lorry. The car driver asserts his non-existant right of way and refuses to reverse a couple of car lenghts to let the lorry out, forcing the lorry to reverse about 200 metres. Appalling behaviour. 

1 minute ago, Routemaster1461 said:

As far as I am aware, apart from when there are give way signs and road markings there is no official right of way. There is a video on Youtube taken from a lorry which was passing a long line of vehicles parked on the left, and just before he gets to the end a car comes in the opposite direction and stops in front of the lorry. The car driver asserts his non-existant right of way and refuses to reverse a couple of car lenghts to let the lorry out, forcing the lorry to reverse about 200 metres. Appalling behaviour. 

I think this is the video you mean. What a tool this car driver is!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y_E4dbGD24

 

2 minutes ago, EnterName said:

I think this is the video you mean. What a tool this car driver is!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y_E4dbGD24

 

 

Yes, that is it!

@Aspmanknow were i live and what happens there.

 

100 yards before the edge of town going out there is a shop on the left. 

Cars and vans from 1 or 2 to maybe as much as 8 are parked.

So as you come up the road you give way. 

50 yards to the left after the cars a road to the left, and across from it almost directly a road to the right. 

 

Towards you cars coming in the now 40 mile limit and then entering the 30 limit.

 

So you sit waiting for safe to pass, maybe cars in front and as you go that car might want to park at the shop. 

So there you are on the wrong side of the road, no place to go but onwards or on and left, or wait and go right.

 

Drivers challenge you, they drive into town and keep going even though for several hundred yards they can see what is parked and what is coming.

Every time almost when busiest. 

Regular drivers that know the story and after coming in will be going away again probably.

I guess you really can get a driving licence in the bottom of a cornflakes packet 🤐

Seen too many of these scenarios myself in a HGV (passenger)

 

I never thought that people would fight with HGV, but it's amazing how many are totally clueless.  Here we were approaching Dartford crossing, and someone in a car towing a caravan sideswiped us, carvan rocked side to side and he carried on oblivious.

 

 

We stopped on other side of tunnel and called the police, and they didn't seem too bothered about a hit and run.

Easy to see why we got hit, the moron couldn't see a massive HGV (who needs mirror extender right)

Yeah I remember seeing that video too.  

 

@roottoot  Is that a case of the town getting too big for the road network?  See similar a lot round me.

No just the shop being so popular & not enough room really and those entering town not just giving any thought. 

Not so many HGV's but lots of tractors, harvesters etc and there is no choice they get right of way, somehow it is just muppets in certain types of cars or vans that think no way am i slowing down. 

Edited 8 September, 20223 yr by roottoot

Routemaster and EnterName have reminded me of an incident I was in some time back on a single track road. I was approaching a sharp rise, and oncoming traffic was screened. I would have been screened from it as well. There is a large passing place at the crest. I had passed the midpoint of the road between the previous passing place and the crest, when a Mercedes S class appeared over the crest with no intention of stopping and a clear expectation that I would reverse because they were in a Mercedes. Well, I stopped, very obviously switched the ignition off, and folded my arms. They gave up their attempt to bully me.

I always try to give way to traffic coming uphill if I can. And if you look well enough ahead, you usually can.

 

I actually like what Ken says (in his first post) regarding a stream of traffic.

In certain situations it makes sense to me to let them continue if they are already moving..........

 

I wish they could programme traffic lights to do this. I guess they COULD) As the amount of times I get stopped at the top of our road as the lights change to red. There's one car there ffs, I scream at the camera, Lol.

So I have to stop for just one car ......... and then the other car has to stop, just for me sometimes. The timing of these lights could be so much better... Grrrrrr

F in hell.  So I am coming down a narrow road,snow, icy. White Tesla X parked away from kerb on my side, I flash the car coming towards to proceed but he is going Infront of the Tesla so flashes me to go.    As I pass the Tesla the drivers door opens right in my way.  So I look at the driver.   No driver or passenger though.   The ignorant old coot is on the pavement with the remote  that opened the door wide open.    Few number and letter personal plate on car.  I will be keeping an eye out for the idiot. 

Edited 17 December, 20223 yr by toot

19 hours ago, toot said:

F in hell.  So I am coming down a narrow road,snow, icy. White Tesla X parked away from kerb on my side, I flash the car coming towards to proceed but he is going Infront of the Tesla so flashes me to go.    As I pass the Tesla the drivers door opens right in my way.  So I look at the driver.   No driver or passenger though.   The ignorant old coot is on the pavement with the remote  that opened the door wide open.    Few number and letter personal plate on car.  I will be keeping an eye out for the idiot. 

I did not knew Tesla doors could be opened remotely like that. I can't imagine why anyone would do something that daft, TBH

If he tries that trick with the wrong car someone might 😄hop into his Tesla while its door is open.

Edited 18 December, 20223 yr by EnterName

I have never seen it done or knew that it could be and i had to stop as i thought WTF and i had the guy just in front that had flashed me on. 

 

His opened all the way.

 

EDIT.

Bottom vid.   

 If i had hit the door i was wide enough out it is a big door.

It really will be dangerous for a cyclist, even a motorcyclist, & the old coot that opened the door on me was not even near the front of the car or stepping off the pavement.

(In the Forfar area there really are some old drivers that no way should be allowed on the roads.  Some rather nice cars driven by retired farmers and others that will never have been in an accident, but cause plenty.)

 

 

As here.

 

 

 

Edited 18 December, 20223 yr by toot