Unsigned four-way junction with a car from the right
At 16:20 you approach a four-way uncontrolled junction in a residential area of Amman. There are no stop or yield signs, no traffic lights and no road markings. The speed limit is 30 km/h and you are doing 28 km/h. A car is approaching from your right at about 35 km/h and is not signalling. A cyclist is 8 m ahead of you on your side of the road, and a pedestrian is waiting to cross on your left. The sun is low and reflecting on your windscreen, and wheelie bins narrow the junction on your left. A wall on the right makes the junction blind. You intend to continue straight ahead. Your examiner asks you to explain your priority decision as you approach.
1. Who has priority at this junction, and how should you approach it?
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At an unsigned four-way junction in Jordan, the default rule is to give way to traffic approaching from the right, so the car from the right has priority over me. But priority is not a guarantee that the other driver has seen me.
- Reduce speed below 28 km/h, cover the brake, and check the right car's wheels and driver for signs of stopping.
- Check the cyclist ahead and the pedestrian on the left; they may enter my path even if the car from the right yields.
- If the right car arrives first or is already entering, I stop. If we arrive almost together, I yield. I would not wave or flash to give away priority; that can confuse other road users.
- Make eye contact if possible; if the right car is not slowing, treat it as a hazard and stop.
2. The driver from the right slows and waves you through. What do you do?
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A wave is a courtesy, not a legal priority transfer.
- I would acknowledge but not move until I have confirmed the car from the right has actually stopped and no other vehicle is coming from the left or behind it.
- Recheck the cyclist and pedestrian; the cyclist may pass the wheelie bins at the same moment.
- Then proceed slowly, in first gear, covering the brake, and be ready to stop if the car moves. If there is any doubt about the driver's intent, I wait. The examiner is testing judgement, not politeness.
3. The cyclist ahead wobbles around the wheelie bins into your path just as the car from the right enters the junction. What is your sequence of actions?
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When the cyclist wobbles into my path and the right car enters, I have two hazards at once. I would not swerve left into the car from the right or right into the bins.
- Brake progressively and stop in my lane; straight-line braking keeps control and gives the cyclist room.
- Sound the horn only if it warns someone; do not use it as a rebuke.
- Let the cyclist clear first; the car from the right remains a threat, so I keep my foot on the brake and watch its front wheels.
- If the car stops, I proceed only when the cyclist is clear and the junction is open. If the car keeps coming, I stay stopped. A collision at 30 km/h is still serious.