Who goes first? Georgia right-of-way rules, with pictures

Right of way is about who may lawfully go first: into a road, through an intersection, into a lane. The manual's own line is that it's something to be given, not taken. Even when it's yours, let the other driver go if that will prevent a crash.

At an intersection with no signs or signals, if two vehicles arrive at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.

At a four-way stop, everyone stops and yields to pedestrians first. Then cars go in the order they arrived. If two arrive at about the same time, yield to the one on your right.

Turning left, at an intersection or into a driveway or alley, you yield to all traffic coming the other way, bicycles included, and to pedestrians crossing.

Coming out of a driveway, alley or private road, you stop first, then yield to pedestrians and to the traffic already on the road.

When your road merges into other traffic, adjust your speed and position to merge safely. On an expressway, the vehicles already on it have the right of way.

Slow to the posted advisory speed and stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk. Then yield to all vehicles already circling, and merge into a gap. Traffic always goes counterclockwise: you enter to the right, keep circling until you reach your road, and exit to the right.

Every corner of an intersection has a crosswalk, painted or not. Georgia law says to stop and stay stopped for a pedestrian in a crosswalk who is on your half of the road, or within one lane of it. Your half means all the lanes going your direction.

That holds at stop signs and at green lights too. When you turn, stop for people crossing the street you turn onto until they're out of the lanes you'll use. Pedestrians with a white cane or a guide dog have the right of way at all times.

Never pass a car that has stopped at a crosswalk to let someone cross: the driver may be waiting for a person you can't see.

When an emergency vehicle uses its lights and siren, slow down, move to the shoulder or as far right as you can, and stop. Don't block an intersection or a turn it needs.

For a school bus stopped with red lights flashing, traffic in both directions stops, even on a four-lane road, unless a median divides the highway. Stay stopped until the bus moves on or turns off its signals and the children have cleared the road.