Editing Traffic (section)

== Rules of the road ==
[[File:Chicago 2007-4.jpg|thumb|Traffic controller on [[Michigan Avenue (Chicago)|Michigan Avenue]] in Chicago, Illinois]]
[[File:Traffic-control-Roma.jpg|thumb|Traffic control in Rome, Italy. This traffic control podium can retract back to road level when not in use.]]

'''Rules of the road''' and [[driving etiquette]] are the general practices and procedures that road users are required to follow. These rules usually apply to all road users, though they are of special importance to [[motor vehicle|motorists]] and [[bicycle|cyclists]]. These rules govern interactions between vehicles and [[pedestrians]]. The basic traffic rules are defined by an international treaty under the authority of the [[United Nations]], the 1968 ''[[Vienna Convention on Road Traffic]]''. Not all countries are signatory to the convention and, even among signatories, local variations in practice may be found. There are also unwritten local rules of the road, which are generally understood by local drivers.

As a general rule, drivers are expected to avoid a collision with another vehicle and pedestrians, regardless of whether or not the applicable rules of the road allow them to be where they happen to be.<ref>''Davies v. Mann,'' 152 Eng. Rep. 588 (1842)</ref><ref>see [[Last clear chance|legal doctrine of Last Clear Chance]]</ref>

In addition to the rules applicable by default, [[traffic sign]]s and [[traffic light]]s must be obeyed, and instructions may be given by a police officer, either routinely (on a busy crossing instead of traffic lights) or as [[road traffic control]] around a construction zone, accident, or other road disruption.

===Directionality===
{{main|Bidirectional traffic|left- and right-hand traffic}}

Traffic heading in inverse ways ought to be isolated so as to not hinder each other's way. The most essential guideline is whether to utilize the left or right half of the street.

===Traffic regulations===
{{see also|Category:Rules of the road}}

In many countries, the rules of the road are codified, setting out the legal requirements and [[punishments]] for breaking them.

In [[United Kingdom|the United Kingdom]], the rules are set out in the [[Highway Code]], which includes not only obligations but also advice on how to drive sensibly and safely.

In [[United States|the United States]], traffic laws are regulated by the states and municipalities through their respective [[traffic code]]s. Most of these are based at least in part on the [[Uniform Vehicle Code]], but there are variations from state to state. In states such as Florida, [[traffic law]] and [[criminal law]] are separate; therefore, unless someone flees the scene of an accident or commits vehicular homicide or manslaughter, they are only guilty of a minor traffic offense. However, states such as [[South Carolina]] have completely criminalised their traffic law, so, for example, one is [[Guilt (law)|guilty]] of a misdemeanor simply for travelling 5 miles over the speed limit.

=== Trail ethics (right of way) ===
[[Trail ethics]] are a set of informal rules for right of way for users of [[trail]]s, including hikers, mountaineers, equestrians, cyclists, and mountain bikers.