Rules of the Road and Right-of-Way
Right-of-way is yielded, never taken
At an uncontrolled intersection, yield to a vehicle already there; if you arrive at the same time, yield to the vehicle on your right. At a four-way stop, the first vehicle to stop goes first; ties go to the right; if two vehicles face each other and one is turning left, the left-turner yields. Left turns across opposing traffic always yield. Pedestrians in a marked or unmarked crosswalk have the right-of-way, and you must yield when turning across a crosswalk. For emergency vehicles with lights and siren, pull to the right and stop. Stop for a school bus with flashing red lights.
Speed and lane rules
Know North Carolina's basic limits: 35 mph in municipalities, 55 mph on rural roads, and 70 mph on interstates unless posted otherwise. The posted limit is a maximum for ideal conditions, not a target. Keep right except to pass, pass on the left, and never pass in a no-passing zone, at a railroad crossing, or on a hill or curve with limited sight distance. On a roundabout, yield to traffic already circulating from your left.
Traps
The classic is the four-way stop where two cars arrive together - the answer is the car on the right, not the larger vehicle or the one going straight. Another trap: a driver who waves you through does not legally give you the right-of-way; wait until it is genuinely safe.
Worked example
You and another car stop at the same instant at a four-way stop, and you are on the left. The other driver goes first.