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Who has right of way?

50 replies

Confuseddriver · 04/02/2026 15:53

Housing estate with Abbey Road being the main estate road. Abbey Road has a sharp bend where you can either continue on Abbey Road or turn into Bishop Drive. There are no road markings but there are two road signs next to each other one saying Abbey Road the other Bishop Drive.

Diagram attached but may take time to upload.

Car A is driving along Abbey Road and bears to the right to continue on Abbey Road. Car B on Abbey Road is turning right into Bishop Drive. The driver of Car B had to stop sharply to allow Car A to continue on Abbey Road. Driver of Car B was not happy and insists they have right of way because you give way to the right.

Who has right of way when there are no road markings?

Who has right of way?
OP posts:
Macadamian · 04/02/2026 15:56

Nobody does. Drivers must approach the junction with caution and negotiate.

Highway Code 146: in side roads and country lanes look out for unmarked junctions where nobody has priority

REDB99 · 04/02/2026 15:57

I think car B, there may be no road markings but car A has reached what looks like a junction so should stop and give way and proceed when clear, car A also looks like it should indicate to show which way it is intending to turn. Car B doesn’t look like it would need to use its indicators unless turning left.

Nevermind17 · 04/02/2026 15:57

Are there any give way signs at the junction? It’s really impossible to tell from the picture. Are they just residential roads, or are they A or B roads?

HardworkSendHelp · 04/02/2026 15:58

Car A has the right of way

BarnacleBeasley · 04/02/2026 15:59

I think theoretically car A does, as continuing on the same road, but if there are no road markings I don't think car B could necessarily be expected to know that, because car A is in between car B and the street sign, which is the only evidence that Abbey Road continues round the bend.

WallaceinAnderland · 04/02/2026 16:00

Car A has right of way

StopWindingBobStopWinding · 04/02/2026 16:00

First post nails it. One should have signalled to the other they were giving way, both having approached with caution and slowing to a stop if needed.

DrFoxtrot · 04/02/2026 16:00

I think Car A has right of way as they are continuing on the main road of the estate, whereas B is crossing the main road to enter the side road.

StandingSideBySide · 04/02/2026 16:01

Is Bishops drive a turn off ? ie side road off a more main road Abbey road ?
If so then Car A as it’s not turning off the road just continuing along it whereas Car B is turning off.

RudolphTheReindeer · 04/02/2026 16:01

We need a screenshot of the real road. There must be some road markings somewhere?

TheNightingalesStarling · 04/02/2026 16:02

A satellite image would be better.

NedIsHereNow · 04/02/2026 16:06

Surely car A has right of way as they are continuing on the same road whereas car B is proceeding to another road. In doing so car B is crossing the other side of the road so essentially the same as turning right.

BadgernTheGarden · 04/02/2026 16:08

I assume both roads are at most a 20mph so there really shouldn't be any hard braking. I would say car A has right of way continuing along the road they are on and car B is turning off that road. But that sort of junction I would be very careful at. I'm surprised there are no road markings, that seems dangerous.

MyMilchick · 04/02/2026 16:12

HardworkSendHelp · 04/02/2026 15:58

Car A has the right of way

Exactly. Not sure why people are saying otherwise, Car A is continuing on the same road, Car B wants to crossover the road they're currently on in to a different road.

DappledThings · 04/02/2026 16:13

NedIsHereNow · 04/02/2026 16:06

Surely car A has right of way as they are continuing on the same road whereas car B is proceeding to another road. In doing so car B is crossing the other side of the road so essentially the same as turning right.

If there are no road markings and the roads are the same size then we don't know which one is the same road continuing. The street name is immaterial.

Cantonatra · 04/02/2026 16:13

Car A has right of way unless there’s an actual junction you’ve not drawn

Dontlletmedownbruce · 04/02/2026 16:14

Car A. They are on the main thoroughfare, B is moving to a minor road so has to indicate and yield.

When you say no road markings do you mean literally none, not even a broken central median? If there is nothing at all, how do you tell that Abbey road continues? is it the curve of the road and footpath that indicate the route continues? Im assuming the main road is wider or somehow distinctive. If they are of absolutely equal size, no central median and nothing to indicate Abbey road goes to the right then I think it would be treated as a T junction and A has to stop.

loopyloo30 · 04/02/2026 16:15

if there are no road markings then common sense should prevail as there is no defined right of way. Cars A and B should therefore both approach the “junction” cautiously at slow speed so they have ample time to react. If Car B was going at a sensible speed they would not have needed to brake sharply. So car B in this scenario was wrong as they were clearly going too fast.

user405927 · 04/02/2026 16:15

MyMilchick · 04/02/2026 16:12

Exactly. Not sure why people are saying otherwise, Car A is continuing on the same road, Car B wants to crossover the road they're currently on in to a different road.

Only one poster has said B.

popcornandpotatoes · 04/02/2026 16:18

Car A is continuing along the same road it's just bending to the right, car b is turning off, so car a has the right of way surely

BassinBas · 04/02/2026 16:18

Isn't the default give way to the right and proceed with caution? In all circumstances I mean. True of junctions roundabouts whatever. Sometimes that's codified by road markings or traffic lights, but in a LH drive country you give way to the right as a starting point.

MyMilchick · 04/02/2026 16:19

user405927 · 04/02/2026 16:15

Only one poster has said B.

And? I said I don't know why people are saying anything other than Car A. people have also said neither has right of way

BassinBas · 04/02/2026 16:20

It's poor road planning by the sounds of it, on a par with "shared spaces" and kurbless drives, but what the stretch of road is called doesn't really matter, what matters is the direction and trajectory.

rwalker · 04/02/2026 16:22

its unmarked so no one has the right of way

Macadamian · 04/02/2026 16:22

Oh my good grief, you're all completely wrong. I posted the answer in the first reply, backed up with the correct rule from the Highway Code! Nobody has priority.

If you think rule 146 is somehow incorrect, could you post another quote from the Highway Code which contradicts it?