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Intersections and roundabouts

Intersections are where most accidents happen. The check asks who has priority, when to slow down, and how to use a roundabout.

Key rules

• Near and inside an intersection, watch for right-turning cars and pedestrians and use the safest speed you can.
• Without signals, if the crossing road is a priority road or clearly wider, slow down and do not block cars on that road.
• On roads of similar width, give way to a tram or a car coming from your left.
• At a "一時停止" sign (or a flashing red signal), stop at the stop line, then give way to crossing traffic.
• At a flashing yellow signal, you may go on with care for other traffic.
• Slow down (徐行) at an intersection where you cannot see left and right, unless it is signal-controlled or you are on the priority road.
• A right-turning car must not block a car going straight or turning left, even if it entered first.
• Do not enter an intersection, even on green, if traffic ahead may make you stop inside and block the crossing road.
• Roundabout: traffic goes round clockwise. Enter slowly and give way to vehicles already inside. Keep to the left edge and go slowly.

Numbers to remember

Common traps

• "The car that arrived first has priority." Wrong: the priority road, the wider road or the car from the left comes first.
• "Green means you may always enter." Wrong: not if you would be stuck inside the intersection.
• The left-side priority rule is for roads of similar width. It does not apply if the other road is a priority road or clearly wider.
• In a roundabout, vehicles already inside have priority over those entering.
• Slowing down (徐行) and stopping (一時停止) are not the same.

With left-hand traffic, the car from your left has priority on equal roads, and roundabouts go clockwise. This is the opposite of right-hand-traffic countries.

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