Who goes first
| STOP sign, solid white line | You must stop at the line, then go when there's a safe gap |
|---|---|
| GIVE WAY, broken white lines | You must give way to traffic on the main road |
| Roundabout | Give priority to traffic coming from your right, unless signs, markings or lights say otherwise |
| Turning into or out of a road | Give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross it |
| Yellow box junction | Don't enter until your exit is clear (unless you're turning right and only oncoming traffic stops you) |
Junctions are where most driving decisions happen at once: who has priority, where to position the car, when to signal, and whether that gap is really big enough. They're also where a lot of theory test questions come from. This guide goes through each kind of junction in the order you'd meet them on a drive, and finishes with roundabouts.
The rules here are from the Highway Code, mainly rules 170 to 190 and the rules of priority (H1 to H3).
Approaching any junction
The routine is the same every time: mirrors, signal, manoeuvre. Check your mirrors, signal in good time, then position the car and adjust your speed. As you get closer, look out for the road users who are easiest to miss: cyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and people using mobility scooters.
Two habits catch out a lot of drivers:
- Don't trust a signal on its own. If a car coming from the right is signalling left, wait until it actually starts to turn before you pull out.
- Watch long vehicles. A lorry or bus turning at a junction may need the whole width of the road, and may swing out before turning in.
STOP and GIVE WAY junctions
At a STOP sign with a solid white line across the road, you must stop behind the line, even if you can see the road is clear. Then wait for a safe gap. STOP signs are usually used where it's hard to see the main road.
At a GIVE WAY sign, or a triangle painted on the road, with broken white lines across your side, you must give way to traffic on the main road. You don't have to stop if you can see it's clear, but you must not make anyone on the main road slow down or swerve.
Some junctions are marked only with broken lines and no sign. They mean the same thing: give way.
Turning left
Check your mirrors and signal left well before the turn. Then:
- Don't overtake just before you turn left.
- Watch for anyone coming up on your left, especially cyclists and motorcyclists, who can be hidden from view.
- Keep as close to the left as is safe as you turn.
- Give way to anyone using a bus lane, cycle lane, cycle track or tramway, from either direction.
Rule H3 adds that you shouldn't cut across a cyclist, horse rider or horse-drawn vehicle going straight ahead as you turn. If turning would make them stop or swerve, wait behind them.
Turning right
Well before the turn, check your mirrors, signal right, and move to a position just left of the middle of the road, or into a lane marked for turning right. If you can, leave room for traffic to pass on your left.
Wait for a safe gap in the oncoming traffic. Before you go, check your mirrors and blind spot again in case someone is overtaking you. Don't cut the corner.
When an oncoming car is also turning right at a crossroads, there are two ways to pass each other:
- Right side to right side (sometimes called offside to offside): keep the other car on your right and turn behind it. This is generally the safer method, because you can see the oncoming traffic as you finish your turn.
- Left side to left side, turning in front of each other. This can block your view of oncoming traffic, particularly cyclists and motorcyclists, so take extra care. The road layout, markings, or where the other driver has positioned may decide which way you go.
Pedestrians at junctions
When you turn into or out of a road, you should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross it. If they've already started crossing, they have priority. This applies whether you're turning left or right. Our pedestrian crossings guide covers zebra, pelican, puffin and toucan crossings.
Junctions with traffic lights
You must stop behind the white stop line unless the light is green. If the light turns amber, you may only go on if you've already crossed the line or are so close that stopping might cause a collision. Even on green, only go if there's room to clear the junction.
- Green filter arrow: the lane is for traffic going that way only. You can go in that direction when the arrow or the full green light shows.
- Advanced stop lines: some junctions have a box for cyclists ahead of the main stop line. You must stop at the first white line when the lights are amber or red. If you're already over it when the light turns red, stop as soon as you can, and you must stop at the second line.
- Lights not working: treat it as an unmarked junction and go on with great care.
Yellow box junctions
Criss-cross yellow lines mark a box junction. You must not enter the box until your exit road or lane is clear. The one exception: you may wait in the box when you want to turn right and you're only stopped by oncoming traffic or other cars waiting to turn right. At a roundabout with traffic lights, you must not enter the box unless you can cross it completely without stopping.
Crossing a dual carriageway
When turning right or crossing a dual carriageway, first check whether the gap in the central reservation is deep enough to hold your whole car. If it is, treat each half as a separate road and wait in the middle for a safe gap. If it isn't, wait until you can cross both carriageways in one go, so the back of your car isn't left sticking out into traffic.
Roundabouts
Traffic goes clockwise round a roundabout, and you give priority to traffic approaching from your right, unless signs, road markings or traffic lights tell you otherwise. Decide early which exit you need, get into the right lane, and keep looking: other drivers don't always signal correctly, or at all.
Lanes and signals
Unless signs or road markings show something different:
| Where you're going | On the approach | On the roundabout |
|---|---|---|
| First exit (left) | Signal left, use the left-hand lane | Keep to the left and keep signalling left to leave |
| An exit in between | Choose the right lane; you normally won't need to signal | Stay in your lane, then signal left after passing the exit before yours |
| An exit to the right, or full circle | Signal right, use the right-hand lane | Keep to the right, then signal left after passing the exit before yours |
Who to watch for
- Cyclists. Give priority to cyclists on the roundabout and plenty of room. Cyclists, horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles may stay in the left-hand lane while going round, signalling right to show they're not leaving. Don't cut across them as you join or leave.
- Long vehicles. Lorries and anything towing may need to take a different line or straddle two lanes.
- Pedestrians crossing the roads leading into and out of the roundabout.
- Anyone in front of you who's about to leave at the next exit.
Mini-roundabouts
Approach them in the same way as a normal roundabout, but there's less room and less time to signal. Every vehicle must go round the central marking, except large vehicles that physically can't. Avoid U-turns on mini-roundabouts, and watch out for other drivers making them. Where there are two or more mini-roundabouts together, treat each one separately and give way to traffic from the right at each.
What the theory test asks
- What must you do at a STOP sign? Stop at the line, even if the road is clear.
- Who has priority at a roundabout? Traffic coming from your right, unless signs, markings or lights say otherwise.
- When can you wait in a yellow box? Only when you're turning right and oncoming traffic, or cars waiting to turn right, are stopping you.
- Which way is safer when two cars turn right at a crossroads? Right side to right side, as you can see oncoming traffic.
- What should you do about a pedestrian crossing the road you're turning into? Give way to them.
- Where should a cyclist be on a roundabout? They may stay in the left-hand lane while going round, so don't cut across them.
To check how you're doing, try our free road sign quiz, or practise the Rules of the Road topic in the app.
Sources
- The Highway Code: Using the road (junctions and roundabouts, rules 170 to 190)
- The Highway Code: Introduction (rules H1 to H3)
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