The law of the Highway Code is very clear when it comes to precedence: a particular error can cost you up to 650 euros
Precedence is perhaps one of the points of the Traffic laws where more mistakes are made. Out of laziness or because one has never figured out how to proceed, it often happens in our streets to see motorists who do not respect the order of precedence that should be given at an intersection or especially at roundabouts, which in some cities become more of a fight reserved for those who arrive earlier than a system regulated by law.
So the rules are very strict in order to create a mechanism that works and that pushes people to make an extra effort to understand how it works: this translates into hefty finesespecially if you make some specific mistakes.
Let’s go and see a detail in particular that escapes many and which unfortunately can really cost you dearly if you get caught by police to make this mistake. They told us this several times at driving school, but maybe we were distracted…
The precedence error that can cost you fines of up to 650 euros
We are talking about the main rule on precedence: the one that consists in prioritize switching to cars which prevent from the right. This occurs at all intersections involving two roads of the same size and which are not regulated in any way. Therefore, two roads of the same importance that cross each other need no further explanation: whoever comes from the right always has precedence, regardless.
Different speech if the two roads that cross each other concern, for example, a provincial road and a secondary one coming from an inhabited area. In this case, those traveling on the main road will always have the right of way regardless of which direction they come from. Those who have to enter must wait patiently and let the road be sufficiently clear before making the manoeuvre.
Of course, they always have precedence very specific public vehicles such as the tram or ambulances and law enforcement vehicles in general with sirens on. In that case, in the maximum safety possible, we must move to facilitate the passage: or, even if we have the right of way, let them pass without creating dangers.
The penalty for failure to comply with the basic rules of precedence is very varied, but can have significant peaks: the maximum can even touch 650 euros. Therefore, be very careful the next time you get into your car and arrive at an apparently unregulated intersection: if the two roads are of equal importance, you must always give way to the right. Otherwise, you not only risk an accident, but also a rather generous fine.
