Rechts vor Links - Right of way in Germany
Created | Updated Aug 16, 2007
I have been living in Germany for about 15 years now and drive also every day (see carbon footprint). I have had my driving license since I was 17 years old and never had an accident (some 29 years).
In Germany they have a curious rule about right of way. They call it Rechts vor Links (lit. Right gives way to Left). In England, if you are travelling along a road and you pass a side road (normally smaller) then you have the right of way. The smaller road has a white line and a sign post stating "Give Way" (Yield).
However, in Germany if you are travelling along a road you have to give way to a car coming out of a side road, if a sign post (white with a yellow square)is not either in front of or behind the said road, you do not have the right of way. http://www.fahrtipps.de/frage/vorfahrtschild-landstrasse.php
It would be interesting to find out if other countries have a similar (I regard it as illogical)set of rules applying to right of way at junctions.
I have always said that if I do, one day, have an accident, it will be at such a junction in a unfamiliar crossing.
In Germany they have a curious rule about right of way. They call it Rechts vor Links (lit. Right gives way to Left). In England, if you are travelling along a road and you pass a side road (normally smaller) then you have the right of way. The smaller road has a white line and a sign post stating "Give Way" (Yield).
However, in Germany if you are travelling along a road you have to give way to a car coming out of a side road, if a sign post (white with a yellow square)is not either in front of or behind the said road, you do not have the right of way. http://www.fahrtipps.de/frage/vorfahrtschild-landstrasse.php
It would be interesting to find out if other countries have a similar (I regard it as illogical)set of rules applying to right of way at junctions.
I have always said that if I do, one day, have an accident, it will be at such a junction in a unfamiliar crossing.
