Give way - who has the right?

[Deleted User]

I was driving along a road and had just reached an island on my side of the road to give way to on-coming traffic. Immediately after this give way point, there is a side road on my right. When a car is trying to exit this side road, who has the priority?

Me at the give way to on-coming traffic point, or the car exiting the side road behind the give way point? (blue car)

Here is a (rather crappy) little diagram of what I mean. I'm the red car and the grey bit is the give-way to on-coming traffic point.



The reason why I'm checking is that I've just nearly been run off the road by a Taxi.

Oh and the Taxi was not indicating so No idea which way he intended to turn.

Exemplar

If its pretty close you should wait for the person exiting as if you passed the parked car you would effectively be on the wrong side of the road. IMHO I would have waited regardless.

Rolandtheroadie

Have the exact same thing going to work. It depends what way I'm travelling.
I'd perhaps err on the side of caution and say nobodys. You've both to give way to occupy the same small piece of road.

[Deleted User]

I agree. As I had started to edge into the middle of the road to pass the island, there was no car at the exit of the side road. So effectively I was already half way through my manoeuvre when the Taxi zoomed up and pulled out in front of me.

mikey72

If he got to the exit before you, he was on the main road by then, you were pulling onto his side.
If you managed to get to him before he has finished pulling out of the side road, you probably would have had the right of way. Should have put your foot down as well.

johnfarquhar74

Only my opinion but the car that is passing the island(?) has right of way as they are already on the road. The car turning left from the side street has to make sure the road is clear for them to join, that means look right to giveway to traffic coming towards them but also left to make sure there is nothing coming towards them on the 'wrong' side of the road(could be an emergency vehicle overtaking a queue of traffic!).
Off course being 'right' doesn't make it any easier for you when picking out a taxi from your front grill, sometimes best to give an allowance to idiots and let them get on their way so you can without incident!

DaveF327

Wally_Gator wrote: »

No doubt he only looked left.

.. or even right

The blue car (taxi) must give way to all traffic on the major road, irrespective of which direction they're coming from. The concrete chicane could easily have been any other obstruction or parked vehicle requiring drivers to pass it on the opposite side of the road.

The red car quite correctly gave way to oncoming vehicles and decided to go when it was safe and proper and nobody could have reasonably foreseen a car emerging at speed without checking the main road.

I see this situation almost every day where I work. In this situation, the blue car was in the wrong. Always look both ways when emerging from a junction and never approach so quickly that you cannot stop in time for a hazard. If the taxi driver was local, he should well know that the chicane is always there and that drivers will usually be on his immediate left. If I were approaching that chicane again (as the red car) and saw a car at the side road with no indicator, I'd lose a little speed for the eventuality he may try to turn into me, so I have more opportunity to get out of the way.

[Deleted User]

This was a local Taxi firm based in my town so they would of known the roads.

Taxi drivers are the people I hate the most.

DaveF327

Deleted_User wrote: »

This was a local Taxi firm based in my town so they would of known the roads.

Taxi drivers are the people I hate the most.

Yeah, they don't give a s**t. Round my way, they're a law unto themselves and even like to stop alongside their colleagues to have a nice long chat while blocking the road.

jase1

Many thanks DaveF327 -- I've often wondered about this one myself. I've just played it by eye in the past, making the assumption that I do not have the right of way in either scenario, but now I know the rule so will keep it in mind.

I had to wonder though about a guy who suddenly pulled out to overtake a slower car driving at 20mph, just as I was about to turn left in front of him, without indicating (I was indicating so he must have clocked me). I caught what he was doing in the corner of my eye -- could have been a crash that one, very easily.

ElkyElky

I have major rage issues when it comes to taxi drivers, to the point that I'm hanging out the window shouting abusive language at them (I never do this in other situations!!).

Taxi drivers are by far the worst selfish ignorant people I've ever came across and I wouldn't urinate on one of their cars even if it was on fire with them trapped inside.

I've complained countless times to my local council about them and their law breaking but they never do anything about it, nor does the police. The law literally doesn't include taxi drivers.