Tuesday, February 17

Little Difference #8


Little Difference #8 - Priority to the right

See that traffic sign? The one with the black X inside a red and white triangle? THAT is an important sign to know about when driving in Luxembourg. It signals that the street to your right has priority. Essentially you must yield to all vehicles coming from the right. So if you are driving down the street and you see a car approaching from the right, you must stop and let that car go. This is a completely new traffic concept for me and for the other Americans I've met here. It is also an easy rule to forget about as you're driving 30-35 mph down a street, even with the street sign and the sign painted on the road. In the U.S. the intersecting street to the right would have a stop sign. Cars would have to wait until it was clear to turn. It is very different to give priority to cars that are turning. Luckily one of Bryce's colleagues told us about this sign on our preview trip. Of course that was after we'd been driving a day or so.

Has anyone heard of a traffic rule like this in the U.S?

7 comments:

Julie said...

I asked the same question when we moved to Europe...and I found out that it is the same in the US. But you don't realize it because of the fact we have stop signs everywhere and usually 4 way stops. The only time you normally would encounter something like this is in the country, but usually people aren't in a hurry and just let you pass or we are taught to slow down at a 4 way intersection with no stop signs.

I was also told that the number one cause of accidents for Americans living overseas is due to the not yielding the right. Oh and not being able to turn right on a red light too. I forget when I am back home that I CAN turn right on red, and get honked at all the time.

Lisa said...

We do have the "right of way" law in the U.S. If both streets don't have stop or yield signs then you always yield to the road on the right. I guess it is a more used thing in Montana where there are plenty of places with no stop signs:-)

Shari said...

I so enjoy the differences post!

You need to imagine me in the passenger seat, grabbing the hand hold along the roof with my right hand, bracing myself against the center console with the left, closing my eyes and hunkering down as my husband (then boyfriend) turns left in front of oncoming traffic. He then has the audacity to look at me as though I'm crazy and ask "what are you doing?"!!

Anyways, yes, it's a different concept in general however what most don't know is that most states have laws that say in the absense of signage priority is from the right. I didn't know that until husband moved to United States and the question appeared on his drivers test. He blames me for his wrong answer (only question he missed) since I told him it didn't work that way in the Michigan.

You should have seen our neighbors face when my husband turned left in front of them! Wouldn't you know that we would purchase a house on a court that doesn't have a traffic sign on the end (which means that when leaving the court, yes indeed, you can turn left in front of traffic driving straight). I keep expecting to hear the crash but at least I know my husband won't be receiving the ticket.....

Shari said...

I so enjoy the differences post!

You need to imagine me in the passenger seat, grabbing the hand hold along the roof with my right hand, bracing myself against the center console with the left, closing my eyes and hunkering down as my husband (then boyfriend) turns left in front of oncoming traffic. He then has the audacity to look at me as though I'm crazy and ask "what are you doing?"!!

Anyways, yes, it's a different concept in general however what most don't know is that most states have laws that say in the absense of signage priority is from the right. I didn't know that until husband moved to United States and the question appeared on his drivers test. He blames me for his wrong answer (only question he missed) since I told him it didn't work that way in the Michigan.

You should have seen our neighbors face when my husband turned left in front of them! Wouldn't you know that we would purchase a house on a court that doesn't have a traffic sign on the end (which means that when leaving the court, yes indeed, you can turn left in front of traffic driving straight). I keep expecting to hear the crash but at least I know my husband won't be receiving the ticket.....

Catherine said...

Even we you've learned to drive in Europe, and never were aware that this rule was so European (continental I should say, they don't use a "right to the left" in England), you still can completely forget about it, it's really tricky sometimes(actually I failed at my first attempt to get the driving license because of that ;-)

aurora said...

Popping out of Lurksville to make a comment.
I so love your blog! It is really fun to read you 'little differences' posts.
I love your blog!

Maira said...

Hi,
I just moved to Lux from Seattle and I'm researching on life around here.
it's funny to read this post because for me that's the most unusual sign. I really have to think about this one whenever I'm approaching an intersection.
cheers!

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