Village junction at dusk with an unmarked priority
You are driving at 45 km/h through a built-up area at dusk in dry weather. Ahead is a T-junction where your road ends and meets a wider road from the left and right. There is no sign on your approach, but you can see the back of a priority-road sign facing the traffic coming from the right. A cyclist is coming from the right on a cycle path that runs alongside the wider road and is about to cross your path. A van behind you is following at about one car length. Your speedometer reads 45 km/h and the street lights are on.
1. Who has priority at this junction, and what does the sign facing the other road change?
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Because there is no sign on your approach, the default rule applies: traffic coming from the right has priority. The sign you can see is facing the other road, so it tells that traffic it is on a priority road, which reinforces rather than removes your duty to give way to the right. You must therefore yield to vehicles approaching from the right on the wider road.
The cyclist is a separate issue. Cyclists on a cycle path that crosses your path generally have priority when they continue straight along the path, and you must not cut across them. So you yield to the cyclist and to traffic from the right, and you may proceed when both are clear. Do not assume the van behind will stop; signal early and brake progressively.
2. How should the following van influence your braking and positioning?
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One car length at 45 km/h is far too close: at that speed a safe following distance in dry weather is about two seconds, roughly 25 m, and one car length is maybe 5 m. If you brake sharply the van will hit you. So you manage the situation defensively rather than relying on the van.
Approach the junction slower than 45 km/h, brake early and gently so your brake lights give the van time to react, and avoid a late, hard stop. Keep a steady line, do not swerve toward the cycle path, and if the van stays glued to you, increase your own gap to whatever is ahead so you have room to stop progressively. Once through the junction, let the van pass if it is safe, or simply maintain a smooth speed so it stops tailgating.