Editing Traffic (section)

=== Turning ===
Drivers often seek to turn onto another road or onto [[private property]]. The vehicle's blinking [[turn signal]]s (commonly known as "blinkers" or "indicators") are often used as a way to announce one's intention to turn, thus alerting other drivers.  The actual usage of directional signals varies greatly amongst countries, although its purpose is to indicate a driver's intention to depart from the current (and natural) flow of traffic well before the departure is executed (typically 3 seconds as a guideline).
[[File:Burger King, Ashley St, Valdosta 2016.JPG|thumb|[[Center turn lane]] on a Georgia road]]

This will usually mean that turning traffic must stop and wait for a breach to turn, and this might cause inconvenience for drivers that follow them but do not want to turn.  This is why dedicated lanes and protected traffic signals for turning are sometimes provided. On busier intersections where a protected lane would be ineffective or cannot be built, turning may be entirely prohibited, and drivers will be required to "drive around the block" in order to accomplish the turn. Many cities employ this tactic quite often; in San Francisco, due to its common practice, making three right turns is known colloquially as a "San Francisco left turn". Likewise, as many intersections in [[Taipei City]] are too busy to allow direct left turns, signs often direct drivers to drive around the block to turn.

Turning rules are by no means universal. For example, in [[New Zealand]] (a drive-on-the-left country) between 1977 and 2012, left turning traffic had to give way to opposing right-turning traffic wishing to take the same road (unless there were multiple lanes, but then one must take care in case a vehicle jumped lanes). New Zealand abolished this particular rule on 25 March 2012, except at [[roundabout]]s or when denoted by a Give Way or Stop sign.<ref name="example web reference">{{cite news |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/motoring/news/article.cfm?c_id=9&objectid=10748892 |title=Give-way rule change: Campaign to avoid crashes |author=Dearnaley, Mathew |date=2 September 2011 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=23 November 2011}}</ref> Although the rule caused initial driver confusion, and many intersections required or still require modification,<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10787417 |title= 'Wait and see approach' on left turn rule |newspaper= The New Zealand Herald |first= Nikki |last= Preston |date= 23 February 2012 |access-date= 26 February 2012}}</ref> the change is predicted to eventually prevent one death and 13 serious injuries annually.

On roads with multiple lanes, turning traffic is generally expected to move to the lane closest to the direction they wish to turn. For example, traffic intending to turn right will usually move to the rightmost lane before the intersection. Likewise, left-turning traffic will move to the leftmost lane.  Exceptions to this rule may exist where for example the traffic authority decides that the two rightmost lanes will be for turning right, in which case drivers may take whichever of them to turn.  Traffic may adapt to [[Social norm|informal patterns]] that rise naturally rather than by force of authority.  For example, it is common for drivers to observe (and trust) the turn signals used by other drivers in order to make turns from other lanes.  If several vehicles on the right lane are all turning right, a vehicle may come from the next-to-right lane and turn right as well, in parallel with the other right-turning vehicles.

==== Intersections ====
{{main|Intersection (road)}}
[[File:Intersection 4way overview.jpg|thumb|left|This intersection in [[San Jose, California]] has crosswalks, left-turn lanes, and [[traffic light]]s.]]

In most of [[Continental Europe]], the default rule is to give [[priority to the right]], but this may be overridden by signs or road markings. There, priority was initially given according to the social rank of each traveler, but early in the life of the automobile this rule was deemed impractical and replaced with the ''priorité à droite'' (priority to the right) rule, which still applies. At a [[traffic circle]] where ''priorité à droite'' is not overridden, traffic on what would otherwise be a [[roundabout]] gives way to traffic entering the circle. Most French roundabouts now have give-way signs for traffic entering the circle, but there remain some notable exceptions that operate on the old rule, such as the [[Place de l'Étoile]] around the [[Arc de Triomphe]]. Priority to the right where used in continental Europe may be overridden by an ascending hierarchy of markings, signs, signals, and authorized persons.
[[File:NonUK Roundabout 8 Cars.gif|thumb|[[Roundabout]] in a country where traffic drives on the right.  Traffic streams circularly around a central island after first yielding to circulating traffic.  Unlike with traffic circles, vehicles on a roundabout have priority over the entering vehicle, [[parking]] is not allowed and pedestrians are usually prohibited from the central island.]]
[[File:Street Intersection diagram.PNG|thumb|[[Intersection (road)|intersection]] of two-way streets as seen from above (traffic flows on the right side of the road).  The east–west street has left turn lanes from both directions, but the north–south street does not have left turn lanes at this intersection.  The east–west street traffic lights also have green left turn arrows to show when unhindered left turns can be made.  Some possible markings for crosswalks are shown.]]

In the United Kingdom, priority is generally indicated by signs or markings, so that almost all junctions between public roads (except those governed by traffic signals) have a concept of a major road and minor road. The default give-way-to-the-right rule used in Continental Europe causes problems for many British and Irish drivers who are accustomed to having right of way by default unless otherwise indicated. A very small proportion of low-traffic junctions are unmarked – typically on [[housing estate]]s or in rural areas. Here the rule is to "proceed with great care"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/using-the-road-159-to-203/road-junctions-170-to-183 |title=The Highway Code – Rule 176 |access-date=7 November 2012}}</ref> i.e. slow the vehicle and check for traffic on the intersecting road.

Other countries use various methods similar to the above examples to establish the right of way at intersections.  For example, in most of the United States, the default priority is to yield to traffic from the right, but this is usually overridden by traffic control devices or other rules, like the [[boulevard rule]]. This rule holds that traffic entering a major road from a smaller road or alley must yield to the traffic of the busier road, but signs are often still posted. The boulevard rule can be compared with the above concept of a major and minor road, or the priority roads that may be found in countries that are parties to the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals.

;Perpendicular intersections
Also known as a "four-way" intersection, this intersection is the most common configuration for roads that cross each other, and the most basic type.

If [[traffic signal]]s do not control a four-way intersection, signs or other features are typically used to control movements and make clear priorities.  The most common arrangement is to indicate that one road has priority over the other, but there are complex cases where all traffic approaching an intersection must yield and may be required to stop.

In the United States, South Africa, and Canada, there are four-way intersections with a [[stop sign]] at every entrance, called four-way stops.  A failed signal or a flashing red light is equivalent to a four-way stop, or an [[all-way stop]]. Special rules for four-way stops may include:

# In the countries that use four-way stops, pedestrians always have priority at crosswalks – even at unmarked ones, which exist as the logical continuations of the sidewalks at every intersection with approximately right angles – unless signed or painted otherwise.
# Whichever vehicle first stops at the stop line – or before the crosswalk, if there is no stop line – has priority.
# If two vehicles stop at the same time, priority is given to the vehicle on the right.
# If several vehicles arrive at the same time, a right-of-way conflict may arise wherein no driver has the legal right-of-way. This may result in drivers informally signaling to other drivers to indicate their intent to yield, for example by waving or flashing headlights.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/09/traffic_talk_breaking_down_fou.html|title=Traffic Talk: Breaking down four-way stop sign scenarios, laws and common-sense courtesies|last=Oosting|first=Jonathan|date=3 September 2012|website=mlive|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917150430/http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/09/traffic_talk_breaking_down_fou.html|archive-date=17 September 2017}}</ref>

In Europe and other places, there are similar intersections. These may be marked by special signs (according to the [[Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals]]), a danger sign with a black X representing a crossroads. This sign informs drivers that the intersection is uncontrolled and that default rules apply. In Europe and in many areas of North America the default rules that apply at uncontrolled four-way intersections are almost identical:

# Rules for pedestrians differ by country, in the United States and Canada pedestrians generally have priority at such an intersection.
# All vehicles must give priority to any traffic approaching from their right,
# Then, if the vehicle is turning right or continuing on the same road it may proceed.
# Vehicles turning left must also give priority to traffic approaching from the opposite direction, unless that traffic is also turning left.
# If the intersection is congested, vehicles must alternate directions and/or circulate priority to the right one vehicle at a time. {{Citation needed|date=December 2013}}

====Protected intersection for bicycles====
A number of features make this [[protected intersection]]. A corner refuge island, a setback crossing of the pedestrians and cyclists, generally between 1.5–7 metres of setback, a forward stop bar, which allows cyclists to stop for a [[traffic light]] well ahead of motor traffic who must stop behind the crosswalk. Separate signal staging or at least an advance green for cyclists and pedestrians is used to give cyclists and pedestrians no conflicts or a head start over traffic. The design makes a right turn on red, and sometimes left on red depending on the geometry of the intersection in question, possible in many cases, often without stopping.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.protectedintersection.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Falbo_ProtectedIntersection_Transcript1.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.protectedintersection.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Falbo_ProtectedIntersection_Transcript1.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=Out of the Box Transcript.docx |access-date=2018-09-20}}</ref>

This type of intersection is common in the [[bicycle-friendly]] [[Netherlands]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bicycledutch.wordpress.com/2014/02/23/junction-design-in-the-netherlands/|title=Junction design in the Netherlands|date=23 February 2014}}</ref>

[[File:Protected intersections for bicyclists.webm|thumb|right|Protected intersection design based on a common Dutch model, preserving the physical segregation of the cycle lane throughout the intersection]]

====Pedestrian crossings====
{{main|Pedestrian crossing}}
Pedestrians must often cross from one side of a road to the other, and in doing so may come into the way of vehicles traveling on the road. In many places pedestrians are entirely left to look after themselves, that is, they must observe the road and cross when they can see that no traffic will threaten them. Busier cities usually provide [[pedestrian crossings]], which are strips of the road where pedestrians are expected to cross.

[[File:Prehod za pešce na Glavnem trgu pri Starem mostu 1961.jpg|thumb|left|Slovenia, 1961]]
The actual appearance of pedestrian crossings varies greatly, but the two most common appearances are: (1) a series of lateral white stripes or (2) two longitudinal white lines. The former is usually preferred, as it stands out more conspicuously against the dark pavement.

Some pedestrian crossings accompany a [[traffic signal]] to make vehicles stop at regular intervals so pedestrians can cross.  Some countries have "intelligent" pedestrian signals, where the pedestrian must push a button in order to assert their intention to cross.  In some countries, approaching traffic is monitored by radar or by electromagnetic sensors buried in the road surface, and the pedestrian crossing lights are set to red if a speed infringement is detected.  This has the effect of enforcing the local speed limit.  See Speed Limits below.

Pedestrian crossings without traffic signals are also common. In this case, the traffic laws usually states that the pedestrian has the right of way when crossing, and that vehicles must stop when a pedestrian uses the crossing. Countries and driving cultures vary greatly as to the extent to which this is respected. In the state of Nevada the car has the right of way when the crosswalk signal specifically forbids pedestrian crossing. Traffic culture is a determinant factor for the behaviors of all road users’ traffic. Specifically, it has a main role in crashes.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Varmazyar|first1=S.|last2=Mortazavi|first2=SB|last3=Arghami|first3=S.|last4= Hajizadeh|first4=E.|date=2014|title=Relationship between organisational safety culture dimensions and crashes|journal=International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion|volume=23|issue=1|pages=72–8|doi=10.1080/17457300.2014.947296|pmid=25494102 |s2cid=26702114 }}</ref>

Some jurisdictions forbid crossing or using the road anywhere other than at crossings, termed ''[[jaywalking]]''. In other areas, pedestrians may have the right to cross where they choose, and have right of way over vehicular traffic while crossing.

In most areas, an intersection is considered to have a crosswalk, even if not painted, as long as the roads meet at approximate right angles.  [[United Kingdom|The United Kingdom]] and [[Croatia]] are among the exceptions.

Pedestrian crossings may also be located away from intersections.