Quick right of way question

Freefaller

Freefaller

Freefaller

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There's a road I take to one of the places I go to work which always causes a little issue with traffic.

As you know if your side of the road is blocked you have to give priority to others.

If you're going uphill you have priority over those coming down hill.

However, what if you're going uphill, but your side of the road is blocked? Which one is more of a priority, going uphill, or your right of way being clear?

Not that this will make a blind bit of difference in this situation as people just drive up the hill blocking all the downhill people who cannot move owing to having cars parked on their side, who then block the uphill people when pulling out onto the road which means huge amount of hooting and waiting and frustration.

It's a trivial question, but I'd be keen to hear whose priority is most important. I'm sure a lot of you have had similar incidences.
 
I'd always assume that if my side of the road is blocked, I'd give way, regardless :)

This thinking hasn't caused me any problems in my driving lifetime anyway
 
Oh it doesn't cause me problems, at all, as I do the same. The problem manifests itself (here in London) when people make their way down hill, on the other side of the road (because their side is blocked) but then someone starts coming up the hill expecting the other person to move!
 
Can't say that I've ever heard of having priority if going down a hill. The over-riding rule is that if your side is blocked you should give way, evidently rude southerners just don't get that!
 
It's priority going UP hill - maybe it's just me that thought it existed. :p

Agreed about your side being blocked being more important though.
 
Freefaller said:
It's priority going UP hill - maybe it's just me that thought it existed. :p

Agreed about your side being blocked being more important though.
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My mum keeps saying this too. I just thought she said that as she is one of the ones that always goes uphill regardless of what'sa on her side of the road... :mad:

Anyway, my view is priority is given to those who are already negotiating the obstruction regardless of you going up hill.
 
Freefaller said:
It's priority going UP hill - maybe it's just me that thought it existed. :p

Agreed about your side being blocked being more important though.
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As far as I'm aware the priority is with whoevers lane is clear. The giving way to people going uphill is just curtsy dating from when cars struggled to get going again after stopping on steep hills.
 
Indeed - I just wanted to check if the obstruction = lack of priority and the general consensus of OcUK is that yes that is correct, regardless of whether it is uphill or not.

I made the statement in the OP to see how much disagreement there was - it seems everyone here has the same idea as me. :)
 
While I'd normally let someone going uphill have priority where possible if the obstruction is on their side then the obligation is on them to stop - whether they do or not is an entirely different matter. However as I've discovered there is a bit of an adjustment needed for traffic in London, red lights for instance are merely an indicator that you should stop but that only applies after the last three or so cars after the light changes to red have gone through.
 
Road manners in London is pretty poor, I've gotten used to, priority = first in gap

Don't just blame it all on 'the southerners' 42.3% of London is not white british and 20% were not born in the UK, the climate is just much nicer down here
 
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maccapacca said:
Road manners in London is pretty poor, I've gotten used to, priority = first in gap

Don't just blame it all on 'the southerners' 42.3% of London is not white british and 20% were not born in the UK, the climate is just much nicer down here
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So you admit that you drive 'priority = first in gap' but it's all the immigrants that are to blame for your driving. lol.
 
Section 155 of the highway code states:-

Single-track roads. These are only wide enough for one vehicle. They may have special passing places. If you see a vehicle coming towards you, or the driver behind wants to overtake, pull into a passing place on your left, or wait opposite a passing place on your right. Give way to vehicles coming uphill whenever you can. If necessary, reverse until you reach a passing place to let the other vehicle pass. Slow down when passing pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.
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Whilst not enforceable by a penalty, driving contrary to the highway code may see a court judgement for liability made against you should an incident (i.e. accident) happen.

For the purposes of the Highway code, a normal carriage way (i.e. two lanes - one in each direction) can become a single track road if the other lane is blocked by an obstruction (which would include parked cars).
 
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