1. Introduction
  2. Performance requirements - theory, practice, and teaching
  3. Car interior, equipment, operation, and documents
  4. Maneuvers on the Closed Practice Area
  5. Cars and other vehicles' ability to maneuver
  6. Traffic behavior
  7. Road conditions
  8. Basic rules for driving
  9. Maneuvers on the road
  10. Special risk factors in traffic
  11. Maneuvers at driving technical facility
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Traffic rules for drivers

Duty to give way


 

Absolute duty to give way

Give way to all traffic from both right and left:

  • Exit from parking area.
  • Exit from property or plot of land.
  • Exit from petrol station or similar.
  • Exit from an obvious secondary road, e.g. gravel road, track or similar.
  • Exit from a road the cuts across the pavement, cycle track or verge, where the verge is clearly raised above the level of the roadway.

Duty to give way to the right

  • Give way to all traffic from the right and check that road users that come from the left can, and will, give way.
  • You have the duty to give way to the right if nothing else is indicated with a sign or other marking.

General

Drivers must observe particular caution at junctions.

When driving onto or across a road, the driver has the duty to give way to the traffic from both sides (absolute duty to give way) if this is shown with road markings according to Section 95 (see below).

Absolute duty to give way also applies when exiting from a parking area, property or plot, petrol station or other similar area outside of a road, from a path, pedestrian street, dirt road or similar and with any exit from roads over a pavement, cycle track or shoulder, that are raised above the roadway, onto the road that is being entered. Cyclists or moped drivers who ride or drive onto or across a road from a bicycle path, as well as cyclists or moped drivers who turn from a bicycle path out onto the roadway, also have absolute duty to give way.

When, in other instances, drivers move in such a way that their directions cut across each other, the driver of the vehicle that has the other vehicle on his right side has the duty to give way (duty to give way to the right), unless otherwise stated in Section 18 (see below).

Drivers who have the duty to give way must reduce speed or stop in a clear way in good time and acknowledge that they will fulfil the duty to give way. Driving may only continue when, in consideration of other vehicles’ position on the road, the distance to them and their speed, the driving can occur without danger or inconvenience.

Drivers may not turn to the left before this can be done without inconvenience to oncoming traffic. When turning to the right, the driver may not be an inconvenience to cyclists and moped drivers that are moving straight onwards. If a cycle track is laid in connection with the road, where traffic in both directions is allowed (two-way cycle track), the driver may not turn to the left before this can be done without inconvenience to cyclists and moped drivers who are moving straight onwards. The same applies to turning to the right across oncoming cyclists and moped drivers. Similarly, rules apply to driving across or away from the roadway outside of the junction.

Drivers who approach or drive into a junction, must drive so there is no unnecessary inconvenience for traffic on the crossing road, if the person concerned is forced to stop in the junction. In junctions where the traffic is regulated with traffic lights, the driver may not drive into the junction even though the traffic light is green, if the relevant driver realises that, due to the traffic conditions, the junction cannot be departed from before the traffic light has changed to green for crossing traffic.


Sections

Section 18. Turning, reversing and changing lanes, etc.

Before turning or reversing, the driver must ensure that the manoeuvre can be done without danger or inconvenience to others. Turning must be done in a forward motion to the left unless the conditions do not allow for this.

Item 2. Before moving from the edge of the road, with changing lanes or other change to the position of the vehicle, the driver must ensure that the manoeuvre can be done without danger or unnecessary inconvenience to others. The same applies when the driver wants to stop or quickly reduce speed.

Item 3. In the acceleration lane, the driver must adjust the speed to the traffic in the lane, which must be used during the continued driving and leave the acceleration lane when this can be done without danger or unnecessary inconvenience to others. Drivers in the lane which the traffic in the acceleration lane will drive into must, if necessary, ease the moving out of the acceleration lane by reducing speed.

Item 4. Where the number of lanes that are reserved for traffic in the same direction are reduced, the drivers must adjust their driving according to the changed conditions while taking mutual consideration, including possibly changing speed. The same applies to the merging of two lanes.

Item 5. The deceleration lane must be used immediately at the beginning of the lane. The same applies to lanes that are reserved for a certain type of traffic, as well as lanes that are used for turning.

Section 95. Ordinary regulations on marking

The Minister of Transport determines the regulations on the design and meaning of:

  1. traffic signs,
  2. marking on roadway,
  3. traffic lights and
  4. other marking or layout on or by roads for the regulating of or for guiding traffic.
    Item 2. The traffic rules can be deviated from with marking according to item 1.
    Item 3. The Minister of Transport also determines the use of marking in section 1, including obtaining consent from the police.
    Item 4. The Minister of Transport can determine that technical rules and standards regarding marking is prepared in connection with the road regulations determined by the Minister of Transport.

Absolute duty to give way

The sign indicates that motorists driving into or across a road have a duty to give way to the moving traffic from both sides (absolute duty to give way). The sign is normally used in connection with S 11 Give Way line.

In combination with the plates, U 1 and UB 11.1, below the signs, the sign is used for warning of B 11 and B 13, respectively. Below B 11, the D 12 Mandatory traffic direction in a roundabout sign, can be set up.


Stop

The sign indicates that motorists have absolute duty to give way and must stop before driving into a junction or before driving over a railway track. In a junction, cyclists and drivers of small mopeds which legally use the cycle track can, however, turn to the right down the cycle track along the intersecting road’s right side without stopping, if this can be done without inconvenience to other users. For railway tracks, the sign is set up below A 74 Level crossing sign. The sign is normally used in connection with S 13 Stop line, see Section 55.


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Obligations to pedestrians

Drivers who encounter or drive past pedestrians must give the pedestrian time to move to the side and, also give the pedestrian the necessary space on the road.

Drivers who drive over a pavement or pedestrian path, or also drive a vehicle into the lane from an exit from a property by the road, must give way to pedestrians. The same applies to driving into or across a pedestrian street.

For driving on a pedestrian street, the driver must demonstrate special awareness and consideration of pedestrians.

At a bus stop or light rail stop located at the edge of a cycle track where passengers cannot board or disembark in an area specially laid out for this purpose, the cyclists on the cycle track must give way and, if necessary, stop for boarding and disembarking passengers.

For turning in a junction, drivers must not be a danger to pedestrians who pass the lane that must be used during the continued driving. The same applies to driving across or away from the lane outside of the junction.

For pedestrian crossings in places where the traffic is regulated by the police or traffic lights, the driver must give way to pedestrians who are on the crossing on their way across the roadway, even though the traffic light or police’s indication mean he can pass the pedestrian crossing. If such a pedestrian crossing is located by a junction, after turning into the junction the driver needs to pass the crossing and the driver must drive with a suitably low speed and, if necessary, stop to let the pedestrian pass who is in the pedestrian crossing or about to step onto it.

Drivers who approach a pedestrian crossing that is not regulated, the speed must be adjusted so that there is no danger or inconvenience to pedestrians who are in the crossing or about to step onto it. If necessary, the driver must stop to let the pedestrians pass.

As far as possible, drivers must avoid stopping the vehicle in the pedestrian crossing.

Theory subject test

"Give way"

Take a 12-question subject test - requires Platinum access.

Theory subject test

"Junction and roundabout"

Take a 12-question subject test - requires Platinum access.