California · Rules
Right-of-way rules decide who goes first, so two drivers don’t count on the same gap. Having the right-of-way never means forcing it: if giving way prevents a crash, give way.
Roadfeel’s road-sense principles
Tags show the kind of rule and whether it’s a written-test point or matters on the drive test (our tagging). Each rule links to its official source.
Never assume others will yield to you. Right-of-way is something you give, not take; give it up whenever doing so helps avoid a collision.
At an intersection with no STOP or YIELD signs, whoever arrives first goes first; if you arrive at the same time, yield to the vehicle, cyclist, or pedestrian on your right.
At an all-way stop, every driver stops completely first; then the first to arrive goes, and drivers arriving together yield to the one on the right.
At a T intersection without STOP or YIELD signs, traffic on the through road, the one that continues straight, has the right-of-way.
When turning left, yield to pedestrians and to any oncoming vehicle close enough to be a hazard.
Roundabout: slow down, yield to traffic already circling, enter to the right when the gap is big enough, travel counterclockwise without stopping or passing, and signal to change lanes or exit.
In multilane roundabouts pick lanes by destination: right lane to turn right; either lane to go straight (exit in the lane you entered); keep circling for a left. Missed your exit? Go around again.
When someone is crossing the road, in a crosswalk or not, slow down or stop so they can finish safely, and give extra time to seniors, parents with young kids, and people with disabilities.
Never pass a vehicle that has stopped at a crosswalk; it may be hiding a pedestrian you can’t see.
Every crosswalk, painted or not, gives pedestrians the right-of-way; many are unmarked, and school crossings may be yellow. If there’s a limit line, stop there.
Blind pedestrians using a white cane or guide dog always have the right-of-way. Don’t honk at them or stop inside the crosswalk; a cane pulled back usually means go ahead.
On a steep road too narrow for two vehicles to pass, the one heading uphill has the right-of-way, and the downhill driver should back up.
A pedestrian who makes eye contact with you is about to cross: yield to them.
A funeral procession led by a traffic officer has the right-of-way; its cars show windshield markers and headlights. Don’t cut into or interrupt it, or you can be ticketed.
3 of our 40 practice questions for this chapter, with explanations. The rest are in the app.
Answer: A. The car on your right
With no STOP or YIELD signs, if you arrive at the same time as another road user, the one on your right goes first. That way both of you know whose turn it is.
Answer: D. Slow down or stop and let it go; avoiding a crash matters more than who had the right-of-way
Don’t count on other drivers to yield to you. Even when the law gives you the right-of-way, give it up if that helps prevent a collision. Being in the right doesn’t undo a crash.
Answer: B. Yield to the car on the through road
At a T intersection without signs, traffic on the through road has the right-of-way, so yield instead of pulling into its path.
37 more practice questions for this chapterKeep practicing in Roadfeel
Restated in our own words from the California Driver Handbook (DL 600, rev. 6/2025) and dmv.ca.gov. The handbook is licensed CC BY-NC 4.0, which bars commercial reuse, so we don’t reproduce it; we quote short phrases and link to it.