The paper examines the principles underlying the approaches adapted to the regulation of traffic at intersections in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand and comments upon their relevance to local conditions. It is argued that adoption of offside priority (giving way to the right whilst driving on the left) rather than either of the alternatives (giving way to the left or major/minor roads) has proved increasingly inappropriate to modern traffic conditions as well as detrimental to urban amenity. Further it is argued that the requirement in the United States “to yield the right of way”, right of way itself being defined as a privilege, is conducive to safer driver behaviour than the creation of the obligation “to give way” which applies in Australia.
Type: Research and Analysis Report
Sub Type: Other Report
Author(s): GML Quayle
Topics: Traffic management
Publication Date: 01/04/79