Definition of a road and road user

To understand how traffic rules work, you first need to know what is meant by a road and who counts as a road user.

A road for motor vehicles consists of a carriageway with one or more lanes, and sometimes a shoulder (also known as a hard shoulder or verge) outside the carriageway.

Lanes, carriageway, hard shoulder and road

• The lanes are the parts of the carriageway where cars, trucks, buses and other motor vehicles drive.
• The carriageway is all the lanes put together.
• The hard shoulder is the part of the road which is outside the carriageway.
• The road is everything (lanes, carriageway and hard shoulder) put together.

A road for motor vehicles consists of a carriageway with one or more lanes, and sometimes a shoulder outside the carriageway

Road user

Everyone travelling or staying on a road is considered a road user. Vehicle drivers, passengers, pedestrians, road workers, cyclists, horse riders and skateboarders are all road users when on a road.

Definition of a vehicle

A vehicle is a means of transport used on the ground that does not run on rails. This means that airplanes, ships, trains and trams are not considered vehicles.

Examples of vehicles

• Car
• Truck
• Motorcycle
• Bus
• Cycle
• Sidecar
• Horse-drawn vehicle
• Trailer
• Towed vehicle

Defensive driving

The safest way to drive is called defensive driving. Driving defensively means that you drive calmly and with good judgement, without taking unnecessary risks, and with an adapted speed. It also means that you drive with good safety margins, maintain good observation both both in front of you and behind you and that you are always ready to act.

By driving defensively you lower the risk of surprising others as well as being surprised yourself, which contributes to increased traffic safety.

The safest way to drive is called defensive driving

In short, driving defensively means that you:

• Drive calmly
• Plan several steps ahead
• Avoid risks
• Drive with good safety margins
• Adapt your speed
• Maintain good observation both both in front of you and behind you
• Are always ready to act

Order of priority

In traffic, you often receive different instructions that tell you what to do. For example, a police officer may direct traffic, a traffic light may show green, a road sign may limit the speed, or a traffic rule may decide who must give way.

If you receive several different instructions at the same time, the following order of priority applies:

1. Police officer's signal
2. Traffic signals (light and sound signals)
3. Road signs
4. General traffic rules (for example the priority to the right rule)

Of all the signals you can encounter while driving, a police officer's signal has the highest priority. It applies before traffic signals, road signs and general traffic rules. If you approach a junction and a police officer signals for you to keep driving, you should keep driving, even if there is a red light and stop sign posted next to the junction.

Remember: police – signal – sign – rule.

A police officer's signal has the highest priority

Speed

Your speed is crucial to the difficulty level of your driving. With a properly adapted speed, you get more time to plan your driving, your awareness increases and other road users get more time to notice you.

General speed rules

You must always adapt your speed to the traffic situation and never exceed the speed limit.

When choosing your speed, you should consider:

• Visibility
• The road and road conditions
• Your vehicle's condition
• Other road users
• Other traffic conditions

You must always have control of your vehicle and be able to stop:

• Within the distance you can see ahead
• Before any obstacle you can expect

Basic speed limits

If no speed limit is indicated, or if a speed limit sign is destroyed, covered by snow or similar, the basic speed limit applies.

The basic speed limit is 50 km/h in densely built-up areas and 70 km/h outside of densely built-up areas. On many roads other speed limits apply, but they are then clearly indicated on a road sign or similar device.

Speed limits on road signs always apply until the next road sign with a changed speed limit.

The basic speed limit in densely built-up areas is 50 km/h

Sufficiently low speed

The law contains 15 specific situations and places where you must maintain a sufficiently low speed to reduce the risk of accidents. The law does not state an exact speed. You must maintain a speed that is adapted and low enough for the situation or location.

You need to maintain a sufficiently low speed:

1. In densely built-up areas.
2. When visibility is impaired due to darkness or bad weather conditions.
3. At pedestrian crossings or other places where pedestrians cross the road.
4. Where cross traffic can occur.
5. On sharp turns.
6. At hilltops and other places where visibility is obscured.
7. Where there is a risk of being dazzled by bright light.
8. When meeting other vehicles on narrow roads.
9. On slippery roads.
10. When approaching a bus, tram or school transport vehicle that has stopped to let passengers on or off.
11. When approaching children on or beside the road.
12. When approaching livestock (cows, for example) on the road.
13. Where road work is in progress.
14. When passing the scene of an accident.
15. In dirty road conditions where there is risk of splashing other road users.

The law also prohibits you from driving excessively slowly or suddenly braking without cause. This means you are not allowed to drive too slowly either, if there is no obvious reason to do so, as that could surprise or hinder other drivers.

However, you may drive slowly if there is a valid reason, for example poor visibility, slippery roads, heavy traffic, or when approaching a junction or a pedestrian crossing.

Speed table

Below is a table with the maximum speed allowed by different types of vehicles.

	The following vehicles must follow the speed limit applying to the road: - Private car. - Light truck (light goods vehicle). - Motorcycle. - Light bus of 3.5 tons maximum total weight.
	- Heavy bus exceeding 3.5 tons total weight, if all passengers older than three years have access to a seat with a seat belt.
	- Heavy bus exceeding 3.5 tons total weight, if all passengers older than three years do not have access to a seat with a seat belt. - Heavy truck (heavy goods vehicle) on motorway or clearway.
	- Private car with non-braking trailer whose total weight (or kerb weight when the trailer is not loaded) does not exceed half of the car's kerb weight, maximum 750 kg. - Private car with braking trailer or caravan. - Motorcycle with trailer. - Heavy truck (motorcar category vehicle) with trailer. - Heavy truck (heavy goods vehicle) on roads other than motorway or clearway.
	- Motorised equipment (construction equipment) class 1. - Tractor b.
	- Class 1 moped.
	- Private car with non-braking trailer whose total weight (or kerb weight when the trailer is not loaded) exceeds half of the car's kerb weight. - Tractor a.
	- Motorised equipment (construction equipment) class 2. - A-tractor (EPA car). - Towing with other vehicle than tow truck.
	- Class 2 moped.

Special traffic rules for emergency vehicles

When deemed necessary some occupational groups have the right to drive at higher speeds than the maximum permitted and infringe certain traffic rules (for example, drive through red lights). This applies even when blue lights and sirens are not used.

The following occupational groups have this right:

• Police officers
• Doctors
• Nurses
• Veterinary surgeons
• Midwives
• Rescue service and coast guard personnel
• Custom officials etc.

Police officers have the right to violate the speed limit and certain traffic rules when deemed necessary

Slow-moving vehicles

Vehicles designed for a maximum speed of 30, 40 or 45 km/h are called slow-moving vehicles. Slow-moving vehicles must be equipped with an orange-red triangular-shaped sign (known as an LGF sign).

A-tractor (EPA car), motorised equipment class 2, tractors class a and three and four-wheeled mopeds class 1 are slow-moving vehicles and must be equipped with this sign.

If you are driving fast and see a vehicle in front of you with a slow-moving vehicle sign, you must expect that you will catch up with the vehicle quickly.

The tractor in the image is a slow-moving vehicle

Road signs

Road signs help you quickly understand what rules apply in a particular place and make the right decision in time. They can, for example, warn you about a danger, show that you must give way, or tell you which way to go.

Different types of road signs use different shapes and colours so you can interpret them quickly, even from a distance.

Below is a short overview of the most common types.

	Warning signs Give warning of different types of dangers, indicating you should be extra attentive and careful. Almost all warning signs are triangular with a red border and black motif against a yellow background.
	Priority signs Inform about give way and duty to stop rules. All priority signs have different shapes and colours.
	Prohibitory signs Indicate that something is prohibited, for example entering a road with a vehicle. As a rule, the prohibition applies from the sign to the next junction. Another road sign or additional panel can also cancel the prohibition. Most prohibitory signs are round with a red border and black motif against a yellow background.
	Mandatory signs Tell you what you must do, for example drive in a certain direction. As a rule, the mandatory order applies from the sign to the next junction. Another road sign or additional panel can also cancel the mandatory order. Almost all mandatory signs are round with a white border and white motif against a blue background.
	Advisory signs Tell you about what applies to a particular location, road or road section. For example, that a motorway or pedestrian street begins or ends. Where advisory signs have been put up special traffic rules usually apply. Advisory signs apply until a cancelling sign. Advisory signs are always square or rectangular but do vary in appearance.
	Direction signs Show the way to a town, place, establishment, facility or similar. Direction signs vary in shape and appearance.
	Additional panels Provide additional information to the road sign above the panel. Additional panels vary in appearance but usually have the same colours as the road sign they supplement.

Time indication on additional panel

An additional panel with time indications always supplements another road sign and indicates which days and between which times the indication on the road sign applies. They can, for example, tell you when a road sign with a speed limit or a parking prohibition applies.

• Black or white numbers without brackets indicate which times apply Monday-Friday (excepting holidays).
• Black or white numbers in brackets indicate which times apply on Saturdays (excepting holidays).
• Red numbers indicate which times apply on Sundays and holidays.

If the time indication extends over midnight, the time period after midnight applies the following day.

If a certain date or weekday is indicated, the regulation applies on that day regardless of whether the day is a weekday, weekend day or holiday.

Basic rules of traffic

The traffic regulations contain a set of basic rules of traffic that you, as a road user, must follow. The rules are about driving carefully, showing consideration, and not creating danger or unnecessary obstruction. Below is a summary.

1. You must drive carefully and stay alert so that traffic accidents are avoided.

2. You must show consideration for people who live or stay near the road.

3. You must show extra consideration for children, older people, people with disabilities, and others who are especially vulnerable in traffic.

4. You must not disturb or obstruct traffic unnecessarily.

5. You must follow instructions in this order:

• Police officer or traffic warden first
• Traffic signals second
• Road signs third

6. You must make way for emergency vehicles (police car, ambulance, fire engine, and others) that are driving with sirens or blue lights on.

7. You must not break up or obstruct:

• A military column
• A group of children under a leader's supervision
• A funeral procession
• Other processions

8. You must adapt your speed and be extra alert for trains or trams when passing a level crossing.

You must always make sure there is no train or tram approaching before you pass a railway or tramway track

9. You must not enter a track area if:

• A train or tram is approaching
• A signal shows red
• A warning signal is sounding
• The barriers are going down, are down, or are going up
• There is a risk you may have to stop on the tracks

10. If you are involved in a traffic accident, you must stop at the scene. You should help injured people as best you can and give your name, address, and details about the accident if someone asks for it.

11. Vehicles that block traffic after an accident must be moved immediately. If someone has died or been seriously injured, the vehicle may only be moved if it creates a danger to traffic.

12. You must not destroy traces from an accident that may be important for the investigation.

13. If you damage someone else's property and the owner is not present, you must contact the owner or, if that is not possible, contact the police as soon as possible.

14. You must not move or change traffic devices (for example road signs or cones). If you do, you must restore them or notify the police or the installer of the device.

If you dislodge a traffic device you should first try to restore it yourself

15. You must not leave objects on the road that could cause danger or obstruct traffic. If you do, remove the object immediately or mark it until it can be removed.

The basic rules of traffic contain nothing about your rights – only your obligations. The rules are designed that way to emphasise how important it is to be cautious and careful when driving.

All the basic traffic rules are dealt with in more detail in the other chapters of the driving license theory.