Driving: am I wrong or… everyone else? (with actual real world map)

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Quite a frequent route for me… I’m the red car, wanting to turn right from Cranston Road onto Woolstone Road. The green car wants to go straight ahead from Houston Road to Cranston Road.

We’ve both stopped at the stop sign to check it’s clear for us to move on. No cars are coming in either direction on Woolstone Road but I wait for the green car to move off as I think I should give priority to them as they are going straight ahead.

But nine out of 10 times, the green car continues waiting behind the stop line and seems to think that I have priority in making my right turn. Sometimes they flash their headlights to tell me to go.

It seems mad to me that a right turn would have priority but it happens so often that I’m wondering what I’ve missed.

I have looked at the Highway Code but I can’t find any guidance… can anyone explain what’s meant to happen?

I always fully stop, completely behind the line in case you’re wondering.

Thank you!

frightening stuff from a driving instructor.

Red does NOT have right of way because it hasn’t joined the cross traffic yet. It’s at the junction. Right turning traffic must wait for a gap.

Yep - my driving lessons were a long time ago but my instructor called it "the path of least resistance". That said, eye contact and caution should always be used where possible.

No. Just no.

When I looked into the Highway Code around the issue in our town (as above), I couldn't find anything useful as to who has priority. I know it says on a lot of driving instructiors websites, and this is what I learned, that the traffic crossing fewer paths has right of way, so the car going straight on, but all the Highway Code appears to say is give way to traffic on the main road. I concluded it's just custom and practice, unless anyone can find anything any different, which is why people have different answers.

No it isn't, it's wrong.

I'm learning to drive and thought that at a cross roads nobody has priority?

Apparently there's no such thing as right of way technically (in the UK at least). DH told me this after he'd done a driving course via his work. I think it's because technically no one ever just has the right to go. Sometimes you need to give way, sometimes you don't, but just because you don't need to give way doesn't mean you automatically have the right to go.

This. And, if you were flashed on and were in a collision, it makes no difference in insurance claims if you didn't have right of way (as happened to a work colleague).

Also, wish 'flashers' wouldn't get grumpy if the other car chooses not to go - I won't if I feel it's unsafe.

The car coming out of Cranston has right of way as they will be coming from the right of the car coming out opposite- which therefore has to give way.

No, it doesn't. The red car is turning across the path of the green car, therefore the green car has priority as it is going straight ahead.

Most crossroads have signage. In OP's photo there are stop lines giving Woolstone Road right of way.

We have a similar crossroads near to us and it is certainly the practice here that the car going straight on (like green) has priority and I have seen cars beeped at for cutting across (like red).

To the people who say red has right of way: why is there ever a filter light to turn right if the right turner has priority? There would be no need!
Anybody who says you have priority when turning right, and crossing potentially two lanes of traffic: Have you actually passed a test? It's scary how many people have got this simple question wrong.

Dont drive so have no clue but this junction is right next to my house and clearly no one else does either as there have been two big accidents here in the last few years.

Spot on. It's frightening!

I live off Perry Hill so know the road well and I often wonder too because when I come out of my road to turn left I often have the right turner bib or be cross with me so I’ve been assuming I was wrong and so letting right turners go (as per the roundabout rule) so perhaps it’s me sitting there waiting for you to go sometimes. 😁 I’ll take my priority from now on doing that route.

My friend had one there too approx four years ago on Woolstone road but it was a van pulling out of Cranston and smacked right into her while she was going straight on.

Can’t both go at the same time? As long as there’s enough space in oncoming traffic for red to accelerate onto the main road then red and green if they set off at the same time green should be halfway when red is and then red can turn slightly after without an obstruction from green. Of course it’s unlikely they set off at exactly the same time and speed but as long as red doesn’t turn too quickly and they’re aware of each other it should be safe to do so. So in that scenario I suppose red gives priority to green but it is harder for red to get out as they need more oncoming traffic space so there maybe times where only green can go and not red. Officially neither have priority.

Straight on has priority.
By requiring turning across the path of green, red loses their priority and must wait, but should be waiting in the junction.... can even wait in the yellow box if there is one .... as this allows a car behind them to turn left etc

I would say a car going straight on has priority. Surprised that 9 of 10 car drivers in your area are kind and considerate. I wonder if it is seen or somewhere else locally as a crash hotspot, hence the caution and the kindness.

I’d say green has priority. But in the real world people often break the rules for various reasons. For example if it’s a busy junction and difficult to get out, someone will often kindly let someone else out when they don’t have to. Or if the road is a bit tight or has a lot of parked cars, someone will give way when technically they shouldn’t, to allow the other car to get out of their way.

If for example green goes straight ahead, is he going to encounter parked cars that he’s unable to overtake because red is in the way? In which case it makes sense to let red go first so the road ahead is clear.

The green car has priority as you are crossing their path. Think of it as if there were traffic lights there you would need to give way to oncoming traffic.

I can’t believe all these people of here think otherwise.

Highway Code does not give anybody 'right of way' - it's all about priority. Logically the one who arrives first has priority. If you arrive together, then wait to see who gives priority. Don't rely on practice or precedence, which carries the risk of someone taking priority and causing an accident. Priority is given, not taken.

I have a 1950s copy of the Highway Code, which says the above about roundabout: no particular rules, before the idea of “traffic on roundabout has priority”.

In my driving instruction in London, I’ve seen many situations the books don’t explain at all. Turning right through the green man happens a lot: you turn right, waiting in the junction for oncoming traffic. The lights change, several oncoming cars do not stop for red, and by the time you can turn, the pedestrian lights are well on Green. The only sensible thing to do is give way to the pedestrians.

No idea on the right of way, but opening this thread has filled me with nostalgia! This is where I grew up, used to walk Woolstone daily to get to school :)