In what case can you drive through the intersection without giving way to another traffic user?

Explanation

When going straight.

The light on the right is green and, on your left, the red-and-white tram is travelling on the rails in the same direction as you. On the right of the picture there is a pedestrian crossing with several pedestrians waiting. With these three elements, all three options can be judged.

If you go straight, your path meets nobody: the tram is travelling in your direction and stays beside you, you cut across no pedestrian's path, and the oncoming flow does not obstruct you. So it is only in straight-ahead movement that you pass without giving way.

If you turn right, you enter a carriageway with pedestrians crossing on its markings and must give way to them; a right turn almost always ends at a pedestrian crossing, and that is the commonest place for a collision with a pedestrian. If you turn left, you cut across both the tram rails and the paths of the cars coming from the opposite direction; you are obliged to give way both to the tram and to the oncoming cars.

Worth memorising: every change of direction cuts across a new path. Straight-ahead movement is the only case that keeps the number of conflict points at zero. Whenever the exam asks "in which case do you pass without giving way?", first see which manoeuvre crosses no lane, rail or crossing.

In practice, a green light does not excuse you from looking either; before entering, judge the speed of the tram beside you.

• A right turn looks like the simplest manoeuvre, but it takes you onto the pedestrian crossing of the new road and you must give way to the pedestrians. • A left turn is the worst case: you cut across both the rails of the same-direction tram and the oncoming flow; in both you are obliged to give way.

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