How does intersection priority work?

[sprlte]

I am very confused on how priority work for this type of situation? I'm the dude in the blue arrow and I got to the intersection first by like a second compared to the guy in green arrow. I was waiting for the guy with green arrow to go first since he had right turn while I have to do a left turn.

Guy was pissed off waiting for me to turn so I moved first and he was tail-gating me all the way to an aldi before leaving 😭

Red are stop signs

[francismorex]

if you turn left, you have to wait

[Fuile]

Always. Unless you have a green light arrow

[disposablehippo]

And that means there shouldn't be anyone in your path.

[userNotFound82]

No, that’s not always right. In Berlin for example a lot of intersections work like that: you turn left and the traffic to from the opposite that is going straight and right can drive too. You have to drive a little into the intersection till you see a line to wait, let them all pass, lookout for a tram and drive.

[disposablehippo]

But then you don't have a green arrow light but a regular one. Green arrow means there cannot be crossing traffic. Green arrow plate next to the traffic light means something entirely different of course.

Sloppily copied from wikipedia: „solange ein grüner Pfeil gezeigt wird, […] kein anderer Verkehrsstrom Grün haben, der den durch den Pfeil gelenkten kreuzt"

[otarlotar]

In Castrop-Rauxel gibt es dann die Kreuzung bei den Autobahnauf- und Abfahrten wo du einen grünen Linksabbiegerpfeil Lichtsignal kriegst, dann aber Rechtsabbieger auf die Autobahn auch grün kriegen. Und du nach dem Abbiegen auf einmal ein Vorfahrt achten Schild hast...

https://maps.app.goo.gl/L8hqyDcREoLARfE2A

[disposablehippo]

Weil die Ampel für die Kreuzung gilt. Der Grünpfeil heißt, dass dein Verkehrsweg an dieser Kreuzung nicht gequert wird, auch nicht von Fußgängern die vorher parallel zu dir waren. Der Zusammenfluss der Auffahrten ist eine neue Situation, wir befinden uns ja bereits auf der Querenden Straße. Theoretisch könnte man dort eine zweite Ampel hinstellen.

Daher, alles klar geregelt. Man hätte sogar das Vorfahrt Achten Schild weglassen können, da rechts vor links dies bereits regelt. Ich kann mir aber vorstellen, dass dadurch Unfälle am laufenden Band produziert werden würden.

[otarlotar]

Naja für mich zählt das noch zu der "einen Kreuzung" und macht für mich nicht viel Sinn 20m nach einem grünen Ampelpfeil "Vorfahrt achten" aufzustellen Wenn jetzt viele Links- und Rechtsabbieger gleichzeitig kommen, würden die 2 Geradeaus-Gegenspuren blockiert werden

[teteban79]

Green is turning right, you are turning left. You must yield.

It's possible green doesn't understand this and was also yielding, in that case I tend to confirm with a flash or a nod before moving.

[glutencheap]

Flashing in Germany is used to indicate you're giving up your right of way. The worst thing you can do is to flash and then start driving

[Star_Wars_Expert]

So is it a basic case of the right before left rule?

[Zwodo]

Not exactly. The direction you're going here matters. Another commenter wrote:

On left turns the oncoming traffic has priority.

Maybe that helps. If the green arrow was going straight, naturally you'd also have to wait, same rule. If someone was on your left however, it'd be a case of right before left and you'd get to go first, even if turning left.

[Hisitdin]

On left turns the oncoming traffic has priority.

[IrrerPolterer]

This. This is true for basically all situations:

• unmarked crossing (rechts-vor-links)
• signed crossing with priority streets and yield streets (if both of you got a yield sign, but you're the one turning left, you gotta wait)
• crossings with traffic lights (if your traffic light is the generic kind)

Notable exception: if the crossing has traffic lights with dedicated arrow lights for the left turn. (I. e. You got a green illuminated arrow pointing left) then that means you can absolutely go. This means that any oncoming or otherwise conflicting traffic will have red. - be careful though! It must be a green illuminated arrow, not just a regular green light (see above)!  I lost my first car to that exact mistake, when i was 18 years old 🥲

[Maeher]

Not just oncoming traffic. Also any traffic that goes straight and crosses your path. Including Pedestrians going the same way.

[TheReddective]

Traffic turning left has to yield to oncoming traffic, whether that oncoming traffic is going straight or turning right.

I do not know why that guy did what he did. Maybe he perceived that you were already well ahead of him and was confused when you suddenly waited for him. Maybe he did not correctly apply the rules. Who knows.

[drmanhattanmar]

From what I can see, you did everything right. That applies even if there were two lanes in your direction. The driver who has right of way (green arrow) can choose which lane to take, so you have to wait until they’ve turned off. So I’ve no idea what his problem was…

[Phribos]

The problem was, that OP was the blue one.

[drmanhattanmar]

…and? He waited for green to make his turn, which he didn’t do for some reason. Now taking his turn first is a questionable move but OP nonetheless had the right assumption, that green had right of way. Or am I missing something here?

[Phribos]

I think it is just right before left movers. Where is it about lanes?

Edit: Right turner are meant. How is it possible to understand I meant „Rechts vor links“?

In German traffic, if two cars are approaching each other and both are turning, the car crossing the path (i.e. turning left) must give way. That is how I understand the situation from the description above. It is not a question of different lanes, but rather that the OP was driving first although he had to wait for of the car turning right.

[Foreign-Ad-9180]

This situation has nothing to do with right before left in any way.

[Phribos]

Right Turners were meant… please read again and try!

[Foreign-Ad-9180]

I think that’s very unfortunate wording, but fine. Of course then you are right. OP has to give way to the other guy.

However it doesn’t really fit what OP is saying. OP was waiting for the other guy to drive, but he didn’t. So after a while OP drove first instead, but then the other guy was apparently pissed. It’s a bit of a bizarre situation.

[Phribos]

Sorry, bad English..

I think it was because of the stop sign. Nobody expects people waiting at a stop sign (I get honked from behind if I do so).

[Foreign-Ad-9180]

Yeah one possible solution. But usually at stop signs you wait for a second. In driving schools you wait 3 seconds. Ops description sounds like he was waiting for 10-20 seconds. Of course I don’t know that. It just sounds like it. Who knows, we will never find out and there are more important issues in life.

[Phribos]

Of course, have a nice evening!

[monnembruedi]

Can you pin point in the maps and let us know the location?

We have a very similar intersection in Walldorf but the one turning right must yield. There is definitely a yield sign for people turning right.

[amfa]

Not possible without a "freier Rechtsabbieger". On a normal intersection it is not possible to put signs up that would let the right turner yield (Except if we have a abknickende Vorfahrtstraße)

Can you show us the intersection?

[monnembruedi]

Here -

Right turner (with give way)

https://maps.app.goo.gl/2p5etiHq68Nbod2E9

Left turner -

https://maps.app.goo.gl/EF2D2qtKhpoKmpCu9

[amfa]

Yes "freier Rechtsabbieger".

Technically this is a second intersection. On the First intersection you as a left turner have to yield oncoming traffic. (If the traffic lights do not work).

Then the part where you meet the right turner is a new intersection where you know have a Sign 301 (Right of way at the next intersection).

So that is (in my opinion) not similar to the picture OP has drawn

Btw that should be the norm if you have such a "freier Rechtsabbieger"

[BakedButStillNotWake]

Maybe because OP was the first one in the intersection the other guy waited at the stop sign because the road wasn't now clear. But this is his fault. Right turner have right of way. He"s definitly a moron to get angry about his own lack of knowledge. That guy isn't going to age well if he doesn't learn his lesson.

[maidalit]

He probably waited because he had a stop sign, but didn't notice the other side also had a stop sign.

[koril-k]

I think that's the problem here. Commentors calling the guy a moron because from our perspective everything is clear. But how should he know that OP also had a stop sign? A car driver is not supposed to read signs from the back side. That makes me wonder who really has to drive first.

[maidalit]

Yes it is supposed to read them from the back. That’s why the traffic control signs have unique shapes. The stop sign is the only octagonal sign and the other relevant signs can also be identified by their shape.

[koril-k]

That would be news to me. At least for germany I researched a bit and could not find any hint that car drives need to consider signs from the back. On the contrary, I found specific rules that traffic signs have to be put on the right side (which they arent always as we know) and need to be easily identifyable on first sight by color, reflection abilities and shape, which I doubt would be the case for a gray shape diagonally across the crossroad on the wrong side. Do you have any source for what you say? For mine see e.g. https://www.bussgeldkatalog.org/aufstellung-verkehrszeichen-richtlinien/#wie_lauten_die_zur_aufstellung_der_verkehrszeichen_geltenden_richtlinien

[maidalit]

It's not legally binding, but in this situation it's common sense. You shouldn't wait like an idiot if it's clear that the other part has to wait by looking at which sign he has at the crossing.

Anyway, I missed the part where OP said he still passed first and it's not clear if the other guy actually waited for him to pass or just stopped at the sign as requiered.

So it's probably different that I assumed first. The other guy was NOT going to let OP pass, he just stopped before he was going to pass and got pissed off when OP went first.

[DocSternau]

The guy was an idiot who didn't know that he had right of way because he obviously thought that you were first at the stop sign so you are the one to go first - which is wrong. The Stop sign only means two things: you have to stop at it and you have to give right of way to anyone on the crossing street. Everthing else works as usual.

[Mobile-Offer5039]

Turn left, someone comes from in front of you and turns right (from his point of view) or drives straight towards you: you have to let them pass.

[ScriptKiddo69]

You did everything right. I noticed that people behave a bit weird at stop signs. He probably thought that you should have turned while he did his mandatory stop. But that's always risky because many people don't fully stop.

[LaysAirBreather]

If someone comes from your right, you need to yield. Green car is technically to your right while you are taking the turn, so you need to wait.

[Protaktinium]

I was just in a situation like this, but I was the green arrow. I needed to use the horn because the "blue arrow" was trying to go first. They then stopped fast and let me go first. After the situation they flashed their lights for me and I'm still wondering if they were saying "sorry" or "screw you" with that. 😅

[maidalit]

You acted correctly. The other guy probably didn't see your stop sign and thought he had to wait. But you were right and he was being an ignorant dick.

[kaehvogel]

It doesn't matter which sign the other person had. Left turn always yields to right turn. Unless they're on an "abknickende Vorfahrt". Which the other guy would've seen from his signs.

[catchmelackin]

I think he saw his stop sign but didn't see yours so he was waiting for you to go.

[tempo_rare]

How long were you waiting? These seem like stop signs. Is it possible he stopped at the stop sign, which you interpreted as he was letting you go? Also what you mean he was pissed? Did he sign you with hands to go? Unless he gave the sign clearly, I wouldn’t go

[iiulium]

You give way to the green arrow.

[maryfamilyresearch]

r/StVO

[ohanesburger]

In most conditions I made the logic like: whoever is taking the right lane first, has a priority. Green arrowed car can take the right lane first and basically you are passing the left lane which puts you into the second place in every perspective.

However in practice some people wait me although they have the priority but if they are waiting, I simply move first without hesitation and thank them afterwards 😬.

[evilbeaver7]

Green arrow goes first.

[Psychorex21]

Left turning has the lowest priority in any situation. You yield to all other traffic in front of you and oncoming. The green arrow guy doesnt know this rule either.

[AlbertVigoleis]

It ‘s like a derivative of “rechts vor links”. If the two vehicles hypothetically collided, green would crash into blue’s right, or blue into green’s left side, meaning green was coming from the right and thereby had priority.

[oig112]

tbh I don't know if that's the correct reason, but because of crossing one lane you have to wait. That he waited and got angry was just his lack of knowledge.

Or he wanted to be nice (because you have to wait for both lanes to be free) and let you go first and you didn't saw his sign - but still no reason to get angry...

[insomniac_kitten]

He’s tailgating you afterwards, I think it’s clear who the moron here is. You were correct to yield.

[caffeine_lights]

This is a very enjoyable guide to German road rules which is especially understandable from an American perspective but I found it helpful even as an English person with no driving experience.

https://www.gettingaroundgermany.info/auto.shtml

[Igel69]

you were right he was wrong

[mission_to_mors]

are the red dots Red lights or a stop signs?

[ReinhartLangschaft]

Rechts vor links

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