Road-rule practice: Right-of-way decisions

You and a car on your right approach an ordinary uncontrolled intersection together. There is no through-highway priority or officer's direction changing the rule. Who should yield?

Correct answer: You should yield to the car on your right.

The driver approaching or entering on the left yields to the vehicle on the right, subject to traffic controls, officer directions and other chapter rules. The scenario excludes those special priorities.

Source: New Hampshire RSA 265:28, I–II, vehicle on left yields to right; traffic-control, police and through-highway qualifications; official consolidated Chapter 265 HTML and displayed source history read October 1, 2026. ↗

You want to turn left into a driveway. An opposing car is close enough that your turn would force it to brake to avoid you. What should you do?

Correct answer: Yield until the opposing vehicle no longer creates an immediate hazard to your turn.

The left-turn yielding duty applies to turns into a driveway or private road as well as at an intersection. A signal does not remove the duty to yield to close opposing traffic.

Source: New Hampshire RSA 265:29, Vehicle Turning Left, opposing traffic within intersection or immediate-hazard distance; official consolidated Chapter 265 HTML and displayed source history read October 1, 2026. ↗

After a full stop at a stop sign, you see a car on the crossing road approaching close enough to be a hazard during your entry. No officer or signal directs you to proceed. What should you do?

Correct answer: Continue yielding until you can enter without that immediate hazard.

A stop does not finish the right-of-way duty. After stopping, the driver must yield to a vehicle already in the intersection or approaching closely enough to pose an immediate hazard during the movement.

Source: New Hampshire RSA 265:30, I, stop duty and yielding after the stop; officer/traffic-signal exception; official consolidated Chapter 265 HTML and displayed source history read October 1, 2026. ↗

At a yield sign, traffic makes it unsafe to enter while still moving. How should you handle the approach?

Correct answer: Slow for the conditions and stop when necessary to yield safely.

The approach must be at a reasonable speed with the required yielding. Section 265:31 III also specifies the stopping duty and position when safety requires a stop at a yield sign.

Source: New Hampshire RSA 265:30, II, reasonable approach speed and yielding; paired with RSA 265:31 III, stop when required for safety; official consolidated Chapter 265 HTML and displayed source history read October 1, 2026. ↗

You are using a highway entrance ramp that has no yield sign. Traffic is already traveling on the highway. Which rule applies?

Correct answer: You must yield to highway traffic even without a yield sign on the ramp.

The statute expressly requires ramp entrants to yield to vehicles on the highway regardless of whether the entrance ramp has a yield sign.

Source: New Hampshire RSA 265:30, III, entrance-ramp duty regardless of yield sign; official consolidated Chapter 265 HTML and displayed source history read October 1, 2026. ↗

A stop-sign intersection has neither a crosswalk nor a marked stop line. No officer or traffic signal directs you to proceed. Where does the statute place your stop?

Correct answer: At the nearest point to the intersecting roadway where you can see approaching traffic, before entering the intersection.

For a stop sign, the statute names the near-side crosswalk first, then a marked stop line if there is no crosswalk. With neither present, stop at the nearest viewing point before entering the intersection.

Source: New Hampshire RSA 265:31, II, stop-sign placement hierarchy and officer/traffic-signal exception; official consolidated Chapter 265 HTML and displayed source history read October 1, 2026. ↗

You are about to drive out of a private driveway onto a road. A vehicle is approaching on that road. What duty applies before you enter?

Correct answer: Yield to the approaching road traffic.

A driver entering or crossing a way from a private road or driveway must yield to vehicles approaching on that way. Waiting at the driveway does not create priority.

Source: New Hampshire RSA 265:32, Vehicle Entering Way From Private Road or Driveway, complete operative sentence; official consolidated Chapter 265 HTML and displayed source history read October 1, 2026. ↗

An authorized emergency vehicle immediately approaches with its emergency light flashing, although you do not hear a siren. No officer gives different instructions. What must you do?

Correct answer: Yield, move parallel and as close as possible to the right edge clear of an intersection, and stop until it passes.

The duty applies when the emergency vehicle uses an audible or a visual warning; both are not required. Move right, keep the intersection clear and remain stopped until it passes unless an officer directs otherwise.

Source: New Hampshire RSA 265:33, First operative paragraph, audible OR visual signal; right edge clear of intersection; stop until passed; officer exception; official consolidated Chapter 265 HTML and displayed source history read October 1, 2026. ↗