Road positioning
Meeting traffic
Lesson breakdown
Sub-skills
Lesson 1
Proceeding when you have priority
Having priority isn't permission to go - it only becomes safe to proceed once you can see the other driver has actually decided to yield.
Open lesson
Lesson 2
Stopping when you do not have priority
If the obstruction is on your side, the decision to stop is yours to make early - waiting until the last moment turns a normal give-way into a rushed one.
Open lesson
Lesson 3
Managing a sequence of give-way points
On a residential street with several give-way points in a row, each one is a separate decision - working through the sequence calmly matters more than getting through quickly.
Open lesson
Lesson 4
Giving way where neither side has priority
A narrow bridge like this doesn't come with a sign to settle who goes first - there's no obstruction on one side to hand you priority, so the decision is read from the road and the other driver, not a rule.
Open lesson
Practical test
Why it matters
Meeting situations come up constantly on residential roads and test routes. Examiners watch your planning, your clearance from parked cars, and whether you judge priority correctly - forcing through or stopping too late can be recorded as a fault, and more seriously if another road user has to react.
What to look out for
Whose side is the obstruction on?
That single question decides who gives way. On your side, you wait; on theirs, you'd normally have priority - but confirm it before you commit.
A safe waiting point
Stop before the restriction where you can still see and be seen, and where you're not blocking junctions or driveways.
Key steps
- 1 Look well ahead for parked vehicles, narrowing or other obstructions, and work out which side of the road they're on - that's what decides who has priority.
- 2 If the obstruction is on your side, plan to give way: choose a safe waiting point early, before you're forced into a last-second stop.
- 3 If it's on the oncoming driver's side you'd normally have priority - but treat that as something to confirm, not assume. Stay ready to stop until they've clearly held back.
- 4 Keep clearance as you pass parked cars - room for an opening door, a pedestrian stepping out, or a cyclist coming past - rather than hugging the line of vehicles.
- 5 Never force through a gap that isn't clearly safe. Waiting a few seconds is always better than a squeeze that leaves no room for error.
Read moreShow less
Common mistakes
Approaching too fast
Slow earlier so you have time to read who has priority and choose a waiting point, instead of deciding at the last second.
Driving too close to parked cars
Leave space for opening doors, pedestrians and cyclists - the extra room is what gives you time to react.
Forcing through
If the space isn't clearly safe, wait. Priority is never worth a squeeze that relies on the other driver reacting.
Read moreShow less
Highway Code
This lesson is a revision aid, not a replacement for The Highway Code.
Rule 163
Give way to oncoming vehicles before passing parked vehicles or other obstructions on your side of the road, and give cyclists and motorcyclists at least as much room as you would a car.
Read on GOV.UK