Right-of-way rules decide who goes first when two road users want the same space. In the US they come down to a short list: at stop signs, the first to stop goes first and the car on the right wins a tie; the road without a stop sign goes before the road with one; left turns yield to oncoming traffic; people on foot in a crosswalk go first; and emergency vehicles go before everyone.
Right-of-way questions are the ones people miss most on the permit test. This page is the overview; each rule has its own guide.
The rules, one by one
| Situation | Who goes first | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Four-way (all-way) stop | First to stop; together → the car on the right; facing each other → the left turn waits | [4-way stop](/blog/who-goes-first-at-a-four-way-stop) |
| No signs, no lights | First to arrive; together → the car on the right | [uncontrolled intersection](/blog/uncontrolled-intersection-rules) |
| Traffic lights out | Treat as an all-way stop | [lights out](/blog/traffic-lights-out-what-to-do) |
| Two-way stop | Traffic without a stop sign; the stopped driver waits until clear | Below |
| T-intersection, no signs | The through road | Below |
| Left turn (any light or sign) | Oncoming traffic going straight or turning right | Below |
| Roundabout | Traffic already in the circle | [roundabouts](/blog/roundabout-rules) |
| Crosswalk | People on foot | Below |
| Siren and lights | The emergency vehicle | [emergency vehicle behind you](/blog/emergency-vehicle-behind-you) |
Two-way stops
When only your road has a stop sign, stop at the line, then wait until the cross street is clear in both directions. Cross traffic doesn't stop and has no reason to expect you. Look left, right, and left again, and don't pull out into a gap you're not sure of.
T-intersections
Where your road ends at another road with no signs, traffic on the road that continues (the through road) goes first. You yield before turning left or right.
Left turns
A left turn crosses the path of oncoming traffic, so the driver turning left yields to cars coming straight or turning right. That's true on a green light, on a flashing yellow arrow and at a stop sign. See flashing yellow arrow meaning.
People on foot
Drivers yield to pedestrians in any crosswalk, marked with paint or unmarked at a corner. A person with a white cane or a guide dog always has the right-of-way.
One rule above all
The law says who must yield; it never gives anyone the right to crash. If someone else takes your turn, let them. Being right doesn't fix a dented car or a hurt person.
StopMUTCD R1-1
All Way (plaque)MUTCD R1-3P
YieldMUTCD R1-2Practice it
Right of Way turns every one of these rules into a puzzle: cars at an intersection, and you tap them in the order they may go.
Play Right of Way: 12 levels of intersectionsStart ›Every rule with its source is on our rules of the road page.