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

Yielding means letting the other vehicle, bicyclist or pedestrian go first. The rules say who should yield, but the manual is clear that you never assume the right of way is yours: you always look at what is actually happening and drive to avoid a crash.

Yield to the driver who is already at the intersection or gets there before you. If you both arrive at the same time, yield to the driver on your right. At a four-way stop, the same: first to stop goes first, and a tie goes to the right.

At a T intersection, the drivers already on the through road go first. At a yield sign, the other traffic goes first. And anyone still in the intersection, on foot, on a bike or in a car, gets to finish crossing.

Turning left, you yield to the traffic coming the other way. On a green light, you also yield to pedestrians crossing where you turn.

Coming out of a driveway or a private road, you yield to the drivers already on the road.

On an entrance ramp, the drivers already on the highway go first. Use the acceleration lane to match their speed, then merge.

Roads into a traffic circle have yield signs. Slow down, yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk, and yield to the traffic already in the circle. If it's empty, you don't have to wait. Keep to the right of the island, and in a circle with more than one lane, stay in your lane.

To leave, turn on your right signal and move to the outside lane once you've passed the exit before yours.

Pedestrians have the right of way at street crossings, though they must obey traffic signals too. Where there's no signal, you must stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk, marked or unmarked. Most intersections have a crosswalk even if no lines are painted.

When you turn on a green light, or on red after stopping, you yield to pedestrians. Be especially alert for people who are deaf, blind or have trouble walking: they may need more time.

Never pass a vehicle that has stopped at a crosswalk: someone may be crossing in front of it where you can't see.

Cars in a funeral procession drive with headlights and hazard flashers on, and may go through a red signal. Other drivers yield to the procession even on a green light, until it has passed.

When an emergency vehicle with siren and flashing lights comes, move as close as you can to the edge of the road, stay out of intersections and stay stopped until it passes.

For a school bus stopped with red lights flashing, stop at least 20 feet away, behind it or in front of it. The only time you don't stop is on a multi-lane road divided by a physical barrier, when the bus is on the other side of it. Painted lines don't count.