Free independent learning reference with original examples. These are not official exam questions or individualized legal advice. Follow current signs, provincial rules and on-site directions.
Free right-of-way scenarios →Use arrival order only in the right context
Under section 165, an approaching driver yields to a vehicle that has entered from another highway. When two vehicles from different highways enter at about the same time, the driver on the left yields to the one on the right. This does not let a driver facing a stop sign enter ahead of uncontrolled cross traffic.
Read the controls first. Section 186 requires the stop-sign driver to stop and yield to traffic already in the intersection or approaching closely enough to be an immediate hazard. The right-hand vehicle comparison cannot be used to erase those obligations.
Source: New Brunswick Motor Vehicle Act — §§165–167, 186–187 ↗An opposing left turn adds a different conflict
A driver turning left within an intersection yields to an oncoming vehicle already in it or close enough to present an immediate hazard. Arrival from opposite directions is therefore not the same case as two vehicles meeting from adjacent roads. Check which intended paths cross.
Entering from a private road or driveway has its own yielding duties. In a business or residential district, section 187 also requires a stop before driving onto the sidewalk area. Looking only at road traffic can miss a pedestrian crossing the driveway directly beside the vehicle.
| Facts to check | Relevant decision |
|---|---|
| Vehicle already in the intersection | Yield under the entry rule |
| Different roads; approximately simultaneous entry | Left vehicle yields to right |
| Opposing vehicle creates an immediate hazard | Left-turning driver yields |
| Stop sign or driveway exit | Apply its specific stop/yield duties |
Name the conflict before choosing who proceeds
Original intersection cases
Two drivers approach from adjacent roads with no stop signs or traffic lights, and would enter at about the same time. The driver on the left yields to the driver on the right. Do not choose the larger vehicle simply because it feels harder to stop.
You face a stop sign while a car approaches on the through road closely enough to create a hazard. Yield even if that car is to your left. Its location does not cancel your stop-sign obligation.
You intend to turn left, and an oncoming car going straight is close enough to be an immediate hazard. Yield to it. Replacing this case with the adjacent-road right-hand rule would ignore the actual crossing paths.
Do not insist on priority when the conflict remains
Priority rules help predict behaviour; they do not make another driver’s mistake safe. The Act also imposes due care. If another vehicle proceeds unexpectedly, avoid the collision rather than use a perceived priority as a reason to continue into its path.
For review, sketch the approaches, mark the controls and draw each intended movement. Only then compare arrival and proximity. The free right-of-way exercises offer answer explanations, while the signals topic adds light-controlled examples. These original cases explain selected rules and are not an exhaustive treatment of every intersection layout.
Source: New Brunswick Motor Vehicle Act — §172 and intersection provisions ↗