What is the primary purpose of right-of-way laws?

Right-of-way laws are fundamental traffic regulations designed to establish clear rules about which vehicle or pedestrian has the priority to proceed in various traffic situations. Their primary purpose is to prevent confusion on the road, thereby enhancing safety for all users. By clarifying who has the right to go first in scenarios such as intersections, pedestrian crossings, and merging lanes, these laws help reduce the risk of collisions and ensure smoother traffic flow.

While other factors like controlling speed, improving fuel efficiency, and enforcing penalties play roles in overall traffic management, they are not the central aim of right-of-way laws. Instead, these laws specifically focus on determining priority to mitigate potential conflicts among road users and to create orderly traffic movement.