What does the term "right-of-way" refer to?

The term "right-of-way" refers to the legal right to proceed before others, indicating who has priority in situations where roadways intersect, or where vehicles and pedestrians may come into conflict. It’s a crucial aspect of traffic law designed to promote safety by helping to determine the order in which vehicles and pedestrians should navigate intersections and other roadways.

Understanding right-of-way is essential for drivers and pedestrians alike, as it helps prevent accidents and ensures smooth traffic flow. The concept encompasses a variety of scenarios such as yielding to pedestrians at crosswalks, giving way to vehicles already in a roundabout, and understanding rules at traffic signals, thereby making it much broader than merely interactions at intersections or among pedestrians.

The other options presented may relate to different aspects of driving rules or behaviors, but they do not accurately capture the full meaning of "right-of-way" as it pertains to traffic regulations as a whole. For instance, speeding past stopped vehicles does not take into account the necessary safety precautions required when sharing the road. Similarly, stating that right-of-way only applies to pedestrians or is a rule restricted to intersections fails to acknowledge its universal applicability on all road types.