A junction is anywhere roads meet — and it's where other people's decisions cross yours. The whole game is knowing who has priority, and never betting your safety on someone else knowing it too.
Give way lines (broken white) mean traffic on the major road goes first; you may roll on if clear. A stop sign means wheels completely still, every time — it's only used where visibility is too poor for anything less.
At unmarked crossroads, nobody has priority. And the yellow criss-cross box? Never enter unless your exit is clear — except to wait for a right turn.
Study time
37 min
Level
Core
Confidence
+10%
Practice
39 Qs
What you'll be able to do
- Understand how to read a junction from a distance — so you arrive already knowing what it's asking of you.
- Understand how to pull out of a junction safely — including the trick for junctions where you can't see until you're almost on the road.
- Understand how to turn right safely across oncoming traffic — the manoeuvre that catches the most learners out.
The facts that matter
- Broken white lines = give way; the octagon = full stop, always
- Unmarked crossroads: no one has priority — proceed with great care
- Box junctions: enter only when your exit is clear (right-turn waiting excepted)
- At roundabouts, give way to traffic from your right
- A creeping car nose at a side road is a developing hazard
- MSM — Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre — is the order to work every junction
- Turning right, position near the centre line and give way to oncoming traffic before crossing
Make it stick
Memory anchors
Unmarked = unowned
No markings means nobody has priority — so everybody slows down. Treat it as a shared driveway, not a race.
The box is lava
Don't stand in the yellow box. Unless you're waiting to turn right — the one careful step the rules allow.
A creeping nose is a question
A car edging out of a side road is asking "can I go?" Slow down so that any answer — including the wrong one — is fine.
Stay sharp
The mistakes everyone makes
Rolling the stop sign
If a junction were safe to roll through, it would have a give way sign. The octagon exists because only a full stop gives you time to see properly. Wheels still, every time.
Trusting the give-way line to hold others
Lines don't stop cars; drivers do — and the one creeping out of a blind side road can't see you either. Cover the brake past junctions with poor visibility.
Getting trapped in the box
Following the car ahead into a box junction without a clear exit is the classic trap. Watch the space beyond the box, not the bumper in front.
Out on the road
What this looks like in real life
The hedge-lined country junction
A warning triangle, tall hedges, then a bumper edging past the give-way line. You've already eased off and covered the brake — so whatever that driver decides, you have an answer.
Rush hour at the yellow box
The light is green but traffic beyond the box is stationary. You wait at the line, the light cycles, and the junction stays clear — which is exactly the point of the paint.
Emerging from a busy T-junction
You reach a T-junction onto a main road, traffic streaming both ways past a parked van that blocks your view to the right. Rather than nosing blindly out, you creep forward inch by inch until you can actually see, then wait for a gap that clears both directions at once. A cyclist you'd have missed slips past on the near side just as you'd have moved. You emerge only when the whole picture is clear, and the pull-out feels unhurried.
Go deeper
Lessons on this topic
Know the signs
Signs worth knowing here
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
Who has priority at an unmarked crossroads?
No one. With no signs or markings, no road outranks another — make eye contact, keep your speed low, and proceed with great care.
What's the difference between stop and give way?
Give way lets you keep rolling and join when clear. Stop means a complete halt at the line every time, used only where visibility is so poor that a full stop is the only safe option.
When can I enter a box junction?
Only when your exit road is clear — with one exception: you may wait inside the box to turn right while oncoming traffic clears.
Who do I give way to at a roundabout?
Traffic approaching from your right, unless signs, signals or markings say otherwise. Pick your lane early and keep your speed gentle on approach.
What is the MSM routine at junctions?
MSM stands for Mirror–Signal–Manoeuvre, the order you work through every time you approach a junction. Check your mirrors first to know what's behind, signal in good time so others can plan, then complete the manoeuvre itself. Getting the sequence right means you never surprise the driver following you.
How do I turn right across oncoming traffic at a junction?
Position just left of the centre line, signal right, and wait until there's a gap large enough to clear the oncoming stream comfortably. Don't cut the corner — steer round so you enter the new road on the correct side. If in doubt about a gap, hold your position; a missed opportunity costs seconds, a misjudged one costs far more.
What do double broken white lines across a side road mean?
They're a give way marking: you must let traffic on the major road go first, but you don't have to stop if the way is genuinely clear. A single solid white line, by contrast, is a stop line where you must halt completely. The rule of thumb is broken means give way, solid means stop.
Turn junctions into marks
Reading builds understanding — practice makes it stick. Pick up where this guide leaves off, free.
Revision checklist
0/7Tick each point once you can explain it without looking.