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Priorité à droite means that at a junction with no signs or markings, you give way to traffic coming from your right, even if it’s joining from a small side road onto the road you’re on. It applies throughout France unless signs say otherwise, and it’s most common in towns and villages. On most roundabouts, signs reverse it: you give way to traffic already on the roundabout, coming from your left.
How priority to the right works
The French Code de la route says that at a junction, a driver must give way to vehicles coming from the right, unless signs or markings give different instructions. In practice that means:
- No signs, no markings: traffic from the right has priority, however big your road and however small theirs.
- A give-way sign, a STOP sign or a broken white line across your road: you give way.
- A yellow diamond sign on your road: you have priority at the junctions ahead, until you see the diamond crossed with a black line.
- Traffic lights: follow the lights.
Outside towns, most main roads are priority roads, so you’ll meet priority to the right mainly in towns, villages, residential streets and on quiet country lanes. But it can appear anywhere a priority road ends, so watch for the end sign.
The priority signs
| Sign | Name | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Red triangle with a black X | Junction ahead where priority to the right applies: give way to traffic from your right. | |
| Red triangle with a thick upright line crossed by a thin one | You have priority at the next junction only. | |
| Yellow diamond | You’re on a priority road: traffic from side roads gives way to you, until the end sign. | |
| Yellow diamond with a black line | End of the priority road: priority to the right applies again unless signs say otherwise. | |
| Upside-down triangle (Cédez le passage) | Give way to traffic on the road you’re joining. | |
| STOP | Stop completely, wheels stationary, then give way. | |
| Red triangle with the roundabout symbol | Roundabout ahead. With a ‘Vous n’avez pas la priorité’ plate or a give-way sign, traffic already on it has priority. |
Signs drawn by us for illustration.
Roundabouts: who has priority?
Most French roundabouts work like British ones, except that you go round anticlockwise and give way to traffic coming from your left. That’s because they’re signed as roundabouts. The French government has explained the rule in two official answers (2006 and 2009): traffic on a roundabout has priority only when the entrance is signed, with a red triangle showing the roundabout symbol and a “Vous n’avez pas la priorité” (you don’t have priority) plate, a give-way sign, or a broken white line where you join.
A circular junction without those signs isn’t legally a roundabout. There, priority to the right applies, so drivers already going round must give way to vehicles joining from their right. You’ll still find them in some towns. If you can’t see a give-way sign or line at your entrance, expect traffic on the roundabout to stop for you, and don’t assume it will keep going.
- Go round anticlockwise, keeping the island on your left.
- Look left as you approach, for traffic already on the roundabout.
- Indicate right before your exit, so drivers waiting to join know you’re leaving.
- Take it slowly the first few times. Instinct will tell you to look right.
STOP signs
A STOP sign means a complete stop, with the wheels stationary, before the line, even when you can see the road is clear. Then give way to traffic on the road you’re joining. Rolling slowly through isn’t enough, and failing to stop is a fourth-class offence with a €135 fixed fine.
If you see a STOP sign, stop and apply your handbrake before moving off. I got stopped and was given a fixed penalty on the spot for not stopping at a STOP sign on a slip road off a dual carriageway.
Penalties
Failing to give way, whether at a priority-to-the-right junction, a give-way sign or on a roundabout, is a fourth-class offence: a €135 fixed fine, reduced to €90 if paid within 15 days. Failing to stop at a STOP sign or a red light carries the same fine. On a French licence each costs 4 points; points don’t go on a UK licence. More in French driving laws.
Tips for British drivers
- In towns and villages, assume priority to the right at every junction without a sign or line, and watch side streets on your right.
- Look for the yellow diamond as you drive through a village. If it’s there, side roads give way to you; if you’ve passed the crossed-out diamond, they may not.
- Expect French drivers to use their priority. A car may pull out from the right without slowing, because it’s in the right.
- Take extra care in the first few miles after the port or tunnel, when British habits are strongest.
Priorité à droite and French roundabouts explained FAQs
What does priorité à droite mean?
Priority to the right. At a junction with no signs or markings, you give way to traffic coming from your right, even from a minor side road. Signs such as a give-way triangle, a STOP sign or a yellow diamond can change who has priority.
Does priorité à droite still apply in France?
Yes. It's the default rule at junctions under the French Code de la route, and applies wherever signs or markings don't say otherwise. You'll meet it most in towns, villages and on quiet roads.
What does the yellow diamond sign mean in France?
You're on a priority road: traffic from side roads must give way to you. Priority lasts until the yellow diamond with a black line through it, after which priority to the right applies again unless signs say otherwise.
Who has priority on a French roundabout?
On a signed roundabout, traffic already on it has priority, so you give way to traffic from your left as you join. The entrance is signed with a roundabout triangle and a 'Vous n'avez pas la priorité' plate, a give-way sign or a broken line. Without those signs, priority to the right applies.
What does 'Vous n'avez pas la priorité' mean?
'You don't have priority.' It's shown under the roundabout warning sign and tells you to give way to traffic already on the roundabout.
Which way do you go round a roundabout in France?
Anticlockwise, keeping the central island on your left, and giving way to traffic already on the roundabout, which comes from your left.
What is the fine for not giving way in France?
Failing to give way is a fourth-class offence: a €135 fixed fine, reduced to €90 if paid within 15 days. It's the same for failing to stop at a STOP sign or red light.
Do I have to stop completely at a STOP sign in France?
Yes. The wheels must stop moving before the line, even if the road is clear. Rolling through is an offence with a €135 fine.