Duty to give way

There are many different traffic rules, road signs and road markings that regulate who has the duty to give way.

When you have a duty to give way, you must slow down in good time and let other road users go before you. If slowing down is not enough, you must stop.

These are some of the most common situations when you must give way:

• When another vehicle is approaching from the right and nothing else regulates the duty to give way.
• At the following road signs: Give way, Stop and Priority for oncoming vehicles.
• When entering a priority road.
• At unsupervised pedestrian crossings and unsupervised cycle crossings.
• When exiting a place where the exit rule applies.
• When entering a roundabout.

The road sign in the picture means that you have the duty to give way

When you have a duty to give way it is very important that you clearly communicate your intention to do so by slowing down well in advance, and if necessary, stopping completely.

If you brake hard just before a give way junction, you have failed to give way because you did not slow down or stop in time. The same is true if you try to stop before a give way junction, but slide onto the intersecting road due to slippery road conditions.

Other road users must always be able to feel confident that you will give way when you have a duty to do so.

After you have slowed down or stopped to give way, you may only proceed when you can do so without endangering or obstructing other road users.

You must always adapt your speed to the road surface conditions so that you can slow down or stop before give way junctions

Duty to stop

If there is a Stop sign before a junction, you have a duty to stop. This means that you must come to a complete stop before driving on. This applies even if you cannot see any other traffic.

You should stop at the stop line. If there is no stop line, stop just before entering the crossing road. Once you have stopped, check the traffic carefully, give way and only drive on when you can do so without danger or unnecessary obstruction to other road users.

The rule exists to make sure that drivers who have a duty to stop really take the time to check the traffic before driving on. If visibility is poor, you may need to edge forward carefully after stopping, but you must not drive on until it is safe.

When you have a duty to stop you always have to stop completely and give way

Failing to stop when you have a duty to do so is a serious traffic offence and can lead to a fine and a revoked driver's licence.

Remember that signals from police officers and traffic lights apply before road signs. You therefore do not need to stop at the Stop sign if a police officer signals you to drive on, or if a traffic light at the Stop sign shows green.

The difference between a duty to stop and a duty to give way

If you have a duty to stop, you must always come to a complete stop, even if you cannot see any other traffic. If you have a duty to give way, you must adapt your speed in good time and let other road users go before you. You only need to stop if stopping is necessary in order to give way safely.

Priority signs

	Give way Indicates that you have a duty to give way to vehicles on an intersecting road or thoroughfare.
	Stop Indicates that you have a duty to stop before entering an intersecting road, thoroughfare or track area.
	Pedestrian crossing Indicates a pedestrian crossing. If the pedestrian crossing is unsupervised, that is, not equipped with traffic signals, you must give way to pedestrians who are crossing or about to cross.
	Priority road States that the road you are driving is a priority road. Traffic from intersecting roads always has a duty to give way.
	End of priority road States that a priority road ends and that other traffic rules apply, for example the duty to give way. Unless otherwise stated, the priority to the right rule applies.
	Priority for oncoming vehicles Indicates that you must give way to oncoming vehicles.
	Priority over oncoming vehicles Indicates that oncoming vehicles have to give way.
	Cycle crossing Indicates a cycle crossing. If the cycle crossing is unsupervised, that is, not equipped with traffic signals, you have a duty to give way to cyclists and riders of moped class 2 who are on or are about to enter the cycle crossing.

All-roads give way and all-roads stop

Below certain priority signs there are additional panels that indicate that all road users have a duty to give way or stop. If you arrive at a junction of this type, where another road user has stopped on another road that also connects to the junction, the person who stopped first should also be allowed to enter the junction first.

There is no specific priority rule that states exactly who should go first. It is therefore important that all road users show mutual consideration, proceed carefully and make their intentions clear to avoid misunderstandings.

The priority to the right rule

When two roads cross and no road sign, traffic signal or other rule regulates the duty to give way, the priority to the right rule applies. This means that you must give way to vehicles approaching from your right. Where the rule applies, you must slow down or stop and let vehicles from the right go first.

The priority to the right rule also applies in open areas where vehicles' paths cross, such as car parks and petrol stations, as well as at junctions with private roads, unless a road sign indicates otherwise.

A common misconception is that a vehicle on a larger road does not have to give way to vehicles coming from a smaller road. This is not the case. If nothing else regulates the duty to give way at the junction, the priority to the right rule applies, regardless of the size of the roads.

Remember that the priority to the right rule does not mean that you may drive out without checking the traffic. You must always pay attention, adapt your speed and be prepared to stop if the situation requires it.

The priority to the right rule applies at this junction because no road signs or traffic signals regulate the duty to give way – you must therefore give way to vehicles from the right

Priority to the right does not apply:

• When entering a priority road.
• When driving on a priority road.
• Where working traffic signals are in operation.
• Where the road signs Give way or Stop are posted.
• At roundabouts.
• When leaving an acceleration lane.
• When an acceleration field connects to your lane.
• When the exit rule applies.

Remember: The priority to the right rule only applies when nothing else determines who must give way. Signals from a police officer, traffic lights, road signs and rules such as the exit rule apply before the priority to the right rule.

Junctions

There is a lot to keep track of when entering a junction, especially if you are going to turn. You need to check traffic in front of you, traffic behind you, oncoming traffic and road users on the road you are turning into.

You may only turn if you can do so without:

• Endangering or unnecessarily obstructing traffic from behind.
• Endangering or obstructing oncoming traffic.
• Endangering or obstructing road users on the carriageway you intend to enter.

Even if you have a green light when turning, you must remain attentive and be prepared to stop. In connection with the turn, pay particular attention to pedestrians, cyclists and moped riders at pedestrian crossings, cycle passages and cycle crossings. When turning left, you may also need to give way to oncoming traffic.

The turning rule

When turning at a junction, you must make sure that your turn does not obstruct road users on the road you are turning into. For example, you must not turn in front of another vehicle, cyclist or moped rider so that they have to brake or swerve.

When turning left, you must also give way to oncoming traffic that is continuing straight ahead or turning right onto the same road as you.

If an oncoming vehicle is also turning left, you can often turn at the same time, but only if it can be done safely and without obstructing each other.

When you turn at a junction, you must ensure that your turn can be made without obstructing traffic already on the road you are turning into

Obscured view behind large vehicles

Large vehicles, such as buses, trucks and large vans, can block your view of other road users behind or beside them. You should therefore not assume that it is safe to drive on just because a large vehicle is turning away from your path. Your view may still be restricted, and there may be road users behind or beside the vehicle that you cannot yet see.

One example is when an oncoming bus is turning left at the same time as you are also turning left. The bus may block your view of a car, motorcycle or cyclist continuing straight ahead towards the junction.

Do not start turning just because the bus is turning. Wait until your view is clear and you can check for traffic behind or beside the bus. Otherwise, you risk turning in front of or colliding with a road user who was hidden from view.

Large vehicles can conceal other road users behind them

The obstruction rule

When approaching a junction you must adapt your driving so that you do not have to stop where you would obstruct cross-traffic. Always stop well in advance if there is a risk of this happening.

If there is a queue in or immediately after a junction, you must stop before the junction and proceed only when the queue has cleared enough for you to pass the entire junction. This applies even if you drive on a priority road, where traffic from intersecting roads has a duty to give way.

When driving in queues you must also stop before pedestrian crossings, cycle crossings and cycle passages so as not to obstruct pedestrians and cyclists that want to cross the road.

When driving in queues you have to stop before junctions, pedestrian crossings, cycle crossings and cycle passages so that you do not have to stop where you obstruct cross-traffic, pedestrians and cyclists

Reinforcement with road marking

In connection with certain junctions and exits, the area where you are not allowed to stop is marked with a road marking that looks like a slanted grid. This road marking is most common in densely built-up areas, for example before level crossings, outside fire stations and in some well-trafficked and more complicated crossings.

You must not stop in the grid

Remember: Do not enter a junction unless you can get through it without stopping and blocking other road users.

The exit rule

The exit rule is a give way rule that applies before the priority to the right rule. The exit rule states that you must give way when exiting certain places, such as parking lots.

When exiting a parking lot, or other place where the exit rule applies, you must therefore give way to all road users, even those approaching from the left.

The exit rule applies when exiting a:

• Hard shoulder
• Path
• Property
• Private rural road*
• Parking lot
• Garage
• Petrol station
• Residential area
• Pedestrian zone
• Cycle street

The exit rule applies after crossing a:

• Foot or cycle path
• Residential area
• Pedestrian zone
• Cycle street

* A private rural road (ägoväg in Swedish) is a road that runs through terrain such as fields and forests, and may only be used by the landowner.

Note that a private rural road is not the same as a private road (enskild väg in Swedish). The exit rule does not apply when exiting a private road.

The bus rule

Always be on alert when passing stationary buses. On roads where the speed limit is 50 km/h or lower, you must always slow down or stop completely if the bus driver indicates their intention to move off the bus stop. If the road has several lanes in the same direction of travel, this rule applies only if you are driving in the right-hand lane.

On roads where the speed limit exceeds 50 km/h, it is the other way around: the bus driver must give way.

Regardless of the road's speed limitation, you must always pass stationary buses with great care and leave plenty of sideways clearance. You must always be prepared to stop, even if the bus driver has a duty to give way, as pedestrians might step onto the road in front of the bus, where your view is obscured.

Always pass stationary buses with great care

Obstacles

If an obstacle on or next to the road makes it difficult, dangerous or impossible to proceed at the same time as another vehicle, and nothing else regulates the duty to give way, it is the driver with the obstacle on his or her side of the road that should stop and give way.

When others must give way to you

Even when other road users have a duty to give way to you or a duty to stop, you can never fully trust that they will actually give way or stop. You must therefore watch how they are driving and be ready to adapt your own driving.

There may be several reasons why a driver fails to give way:

• The driver might have misunderstood the priority to the right rule.
• The driver might be looking at his or her mobile phone.
• The driver might be stressed and try to enter a junction without first giving way.
• The driver might be driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

If you notice that another driver is not going to give way to you, the safest choice is to wait, even if you should have been able to go first.

You can never fully trust that a driver who has a duty to give way will actually do so