DAY NIGHT

Vorfahrt - Priority Rules

German driving theory exam reference - all right-of-way scenarios

EXAM PREP

The Override Hierarchy (memorize this first)

Higher rank always overrides everything below it. If a police officer is directing traffic, ignore lights and signs.

1
Police Officer
Polizist / Verkehrsregelung
Hand signals override everything, including red lights
overrides ↓
2
Traffic Lights
Ampel / Lichtzeichen
When working, override all signs. Green arrow filter = may turn if clear.
overrides ↓
3
Traffic Signs
Verkehrszeichen
Priority road, yield, stop signs. Only apply when no lights or officer present.
overrides ↓
4
Right Before Left (default)
Rechts vor Links
The fallback rule when none of the above apply.
01 Right Before Left Rechts vor Links ▼
2 1 3 YOU RIGHT LEFT
Rule: At an uncontrolled intersection (no signs, no lights), the vehicle coming from your RIGHT always has priority.
Order in this diagram:
  1. Red vehicle (to YOUR right) goes first
  2. You go second (you are to the right of the grey car)
  3. Grey vehicle goes last
When does Rechts vor Links apply? At intersections with NO traffic signs, NO traffic lights, and NO police officer. Also in residential zones (Spielstrasse), Tempo-30 zones, and at equivalent-rank roads. Does NOT apply on parking lots (see Scenario 11).
Parking lots: The BGH ruled (Nov 2022, Az. VI ZR 344/21) that Rechts vor Links does NOT generally apply on parking lots. Only § 1 StVO (mutual consideration) applies. Exception: parking lot lanes with clear "Strassencharakter" (street character, e.g. curbed lanes with markings resembling real roads). In practice, assume it does not apply and drive with extra caution.
If all four cars arrive at once, they must communicate (eye contact, hand signals) to resolve the deadlock. In the exam, this edge case is rare - usually one direction is clear.
02 Priority Road (straight) Vorfahrtstraße ▼
1 2 2 YOU YIELDS YIELDS
Rule: The yellow diamond Vorfahrtstraße (Zeichen 306) means you are on the priority road. All traffic from side roads must yield to you.
Key points:
  1. You go first when going straight on the priority road
  2. Side road traffic sees a yield (inverted triangle) or stop sign
  3. This sign stays in effect until cancelled by the end-of-priority sign (same diamond with black stripes)
Even on a priority road, you must still yield to oncoming traffic when turning left. The priority sign only protects you from side-road traffic, not from oncoming vehicles on the same road.
03 Left Turn vs. Oncoming Traffic Linksabbieger / Gegenverkehr ▼
1 2 3 YOU (turning left) ONCOMING SIDE ROAD
Rule (StVO 9 Abs. 3): When turning left, you MUST yield to oncoming traffic going straight or turning right, even if you are on the priority road. This is a universal rule.
Order in this diagram:
  1. Green oncoming vehicle goes first (going straight)
  2. You complete your left turn second
  3. Side road vehicle goes last (must yield to priority road)
Common exam trap: people think "I'm on the priority road, I go first" but forget that left-turn yield to oncoming is ALWAYS in effect, regardless of priority status. Note: this rule applies when the priority road goes straight. If the priority road bends (Scenario 04), the analysis changes because the "oncoming" vehicle may actually be on a subordinate road.
04 Bending Priority Road Abknickende Vorfahrt ▼
YOU (follow bend) YIELDS YIELDS priority path
Rule: When the priority road bends (shown by a supplementary sign, Zusatzzeichen), you follow the thick line. The thick line IS the priority road. Vehicles NOT on the thick line must yield.
Reading the diagram: the yellow path is the priority road (south to west). YOU follow the bend and have priority. Both the green car (from the top) and the red car (from the right) are on subordinate arms, so both yield to you.
Critical details:
  1. The thick line on the supplementary sign = priority road path
  2. All vehicles ON the priority road have equal rank
  3. Among equal-rank vehicles on the bending priority road, Rechts-vor-Links applies between them
  4. Vehicles NOT on the priority road must yield to ALL priority road traffic
Indicator / Blinker rule: Even if the priority road bends left, you must signal when LEAVING the priority road (going straight where the road bends). You also signal when following the bend if your direction changes. Think of it as: always signal what your steering wheel does.
Very common exam topic. Two vehicles both on the bending priority road coming from opposite sides? They use Rechts-vor-Links between themselves. The side-road traffic always waits for ALL priority-road vehicles first.
EXAM Q 1.3.01-120-M (5 pts, rated "Schwer"): The diagram above shows a left-bend example; this exam question has the priority road bending RIGHT. Same principle, mirror image. You want to turn left (leaving the priority road). The blue vehicle is on the priority road (to the right). The green vehicle is on the subordinate road.

Correct answers:
✅ "I have to allow the blue vehicle to pass" -- blue is on the priority road, you must yield.
✅ "I may make the turn before the green vehicle" -- green is on the subordinate road and is wartepflichtig (must wait).
✗ "I have to allow the green vehicle to pass through" -- WRONG, green must yield to you.

Source: fuehrerscheintest-online.de
05 Yield Sign Vorfahrt gewaehren (Zeichen 205) ▼
1 1 2 YOU (yield) PRIORITY PRIORITY
Rule: The inverted white triangle with red border (Zeichen 205) means: yield to all cross traffic. You may proceed without stopping IF the way is clear.
Yield vs Stop:
  1. Yield: slow down, check, proceed if clear. No mandatory stop.
  2. Stop: you MUST come to a complete standstill at the stop line, even if the road is completely empty
The difference between yield and stop is a favorite exam question. At a stop sign, if there is no stop line, you stop at the sight line (where you can see traffic). At yield, you only stop if traffic is present.
06 Stop Sign Halt! Vorfahrt gewaehren (Zeichen 206) ▼
Rule: You MUST stop completely at the stop line (or sight line if no line is marked). Then yield to all cross traffic before proceeding.
Two stop signs facing each other? If two vehicles both have stop signs, they use Rechts vor Links between themselves after both have stopped. The stop sign only determines who yields to the priority road; among stop-sign holders, the default right-before-left rule resolves who goes first.
"Must I stop even if no one is coming?" YES. Always. The stop is mandatory regardless of traffic. Rolling through = fail.
07 Roundabout Kreisverkehr ▼
YOU (yield) IN CIRCLE no blink entering
Rule: Traffic inside the roundabout ALWAYS has priority. Entering traffic must yield (yield signs at every entry point).
Roundabout rules:
  1. Do NOT signal when entering (no right blinker)
  2. DO signal right when exiting
  3. Drive counterclockwise (right-hand traffic)
  4. No lane changes inside the roundabout
  5. No stopping inside the roundabout
The blinker rule is a trap: NO blinker entering, RIGHT blinker exiting. Many exam questions test this specifically. An "unechter Kreisverkehr" (circular junction with NO Zeichen 215 and NO Zeichen 205 at all) uses Rechts-vor-Links, and you must blink BOTH entering AND exiting. Standard roundabouts always have both Zeichen 215 + 205 together, so traffic inside has priority and you only blink when exiting.
08 Traffic Lights Ampel / Lichtzeichenanlage ▼
Rule: Working traffic lights override all signs underneath them. Follow the light color only.
Light sequence and meaning:
  1. Red = stop before the stop line. No exceptions.
  2. Red + Yellow = prepare to go (Germany-specific! Means "green is next"). Start your engine, release handbrake, but do NOT drive yet.
  3. Green = go, but still yield to pedestrians in the intersection and to vehicles still clearing the intersection.
  4. Yellow alone = stop if safe. If stopping would be dangerous (too close, too fast), proceed through.
Green arrow filter (Gruenpfeil): A green arrow sign (metal plate, not a light) on the right side of a red light means you MAY turn right on red, BUT you must first stop completely, then check for pedestrians and cross traffic. It is NOT a free pass.
Broken traffic lights / flashing yellow: If the lights malfunction (flashing yellow or off), fall back to the signs underneath. If no signs, fall back to Rechts vor Links.
"Red + Yellow = prepare, not go" is tested frequently. Also: the Gruenpfeil metal plate requires a FULL STOP first, even if no one is around. Treat it like a stop sign that also lets you turn right.
09 Trams Strassenbahn ▼
Rule: Trams get priority in MOST situations because they cannot swerve. At uncontrolled intersections, a tram has priority over all other traffic from any direction.
Key tram rules:
  1. At equal-rank intersections (no signs/lights), tram goes first from ANY direction. Rechts-vor-Links does NOT apply to trams.
  2. At signed intersections, trams follow the same signs as cars (yield, stop, priority road).
  3. At traffic lights, trams follow the lights (or their own special tram signals).
  4. When a tram stops to let passengers on/off, you MUST wait. Pass only at walking speed and only if there is no danger to passengers.
Tram priority at unsigned intersections is the key exam point. "Does the tram always have priority?" NO, only at equal-rank intersections. If a tram has a yield or stop sign, it must yield like everyone else.
10 Emergency Vehicles Einsatzfahrzeuge / Rettungsgasse ▼
Rule: When blue lights AND siren are active, emergency vehicles override ALL traffic rules. You must make way immediately.
Making way (Rettungsgasse):
  1. On a two-lane road: pull right
  2. On a multi-lane road: left lane moves left, all other lanes move right (the rescue lane forms between the leftmost and second-leftmost lanes)
  3. You may cross a red light or solid line to make way, but carefully
  4. Do NOT follow closely behind an emergency vehicle ("slipstreaming")
The Rettungsgasse rule for highways: left lane goes LEFT, everything else goes RIGHT. The gap is ALWAYS between lane 1 and lane 2 from the left, regardless of how many lanes there are.
11 Special Cases Sonderfaelle ▼
Exiting a property / driveway (Grundstueck): You have NO priority at all. You must yield to ALL traffic, including pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles from both directions. Same applies when leaving a Feldweg (field path), parking lot, gas station, or pedestrian zone.
Pedestrian crossings (Zebrastreifen): Pedestrians on or approaching a crosswalk have absolute priority. You may not overtake at a crosswalk. Cyclists must dismount to use pedestrian priority (but many exam questions still test yielding to approaching pedestrians).
Buses leaving a stop (Zeichen 224): When a bus signals to pull out from a stop, you must yield to it. Slow down and let it merge. If necessary, stop.
Spielstraße / Verkehrsberuhigter Bereich: When exiting a traffic-calmed zone, you are treated like exiting a property: yield to everyone. Inside the zone, pedestrians have priority and max speed is walking pace.
Two left-turners meeting oncoming (StVO 9 Abs. 4): The default in Germany is voreinander abbiegen: turn in front of each other (pass right side to right side). Exception: the traffic situation or intersection layout may require turning behind each other (pass left to left). Watch for road markings that override the default.
"Exiting a Grundstueck" questions are frequent. The rule is absolute: ANY road user has priority over you when you exit a property, parking lot, or field path onto a public road.
12 Multi-Vehicle Priority Puzzle Kreuzung mit mehreren Fahrzeugen ▼
empty NO SIGNS 1 2 3 YOU GOES STRAIGHT GOES STRAIGHT
Solving multi-car puzzles (Rechts vor Links, no signs):
  1. Find who has NO one to their right = they go first
  2. After they clear, re-evaluate: who now has no one to their right?
  3. Repeat until all vehicles have gone
  4. Left-turners always yield to oncoming straight traffic even in Rechts-vor-Links
In this example (3 cars): Green (top, going south) has no one to its right (west side is empty). So Green goes first. After Green clears, Red's right (north) is now empty, so Red goes second. After Red clears, your right (east) is empty, so you go last. Order: ① Green ② Red ③ You.
4 cars from all directions? That creates a circular deadlock (everyone has someone to their right). The vehicles must communicate via eye contact or hand signals. One driver volunteers to go, then the chain resolves normally. In the exam, 4-way deadlocks are rare; the question usually leaves one direction empty.
For complex puzzles: draw the arrows on paper. Mark who each car must yield to. The car with zero yield obligations goes first. Remove it and repeat. This mechanical approach works every time.

Sign Quick Reference

◆
Vorfahrtstraße
You have priority (Zeichen 306)
◇
Ende Vorfahrt
Priority road ends (Zeichen 307)
▽
Vorfahrt gewaehren
Yield to cross traffic (Zeichen 205)
⬡
Stoppschild
Stop completely, then yield (Zeichen 206)
⬥
Vorfahrt (once)
Priority at next intersection only (Zeichen 301)
⟳
Kreisverkehr
Roundabout (Zeichen 215)
Viel Erfolg bei der Pruefung!