Right of way?

Reader question:

Please explain this sentence: “If you drive, do so as if the pedestrians always had the right of way.” What does “right of way” mean?

My comments:

In other words, if you are driving a vehicle in the fast lane and all of a sudden a pedestrian appears in front of you, hit the brakes and stop – do not, that is, run him or her over, even if the pedestrian has no right to be there legally.

“Right of way” is a traffic term that refers to a driver’s entitlement to the road at a particular time or place amid heavy traffic. For a simple example, if you are trying to steer your car from a side way into the main road, you should allow vehicles already travelling in that route to go ahead first. That’s because, according to traffic rules, vehicles in the main road has the right of way in preference to the ones joining in from the side road. In this circumstance, if your car collides with a vehicle already in the lane, the traffic officer will say, don’t be surprised, it’s your fault.

That’s just basically what “right of way” means. If you study the rule book governing traffic, there are innumerous situations where some vehicles have the right of way over others.

In our example, the good advice is for drivers to beware of pedestrians all the time, as if they always had the right of way – even if they don’t, legally.

That is, someone might be crossing the road during a red light, you still have to make allowances for him or her even if you have the green light. In other words, you must slow down and let them cross the road first. You can’t just hit them even if legally you have a right to travel at a legal speed in a green light.

In China, at least, if a collision happens between a motor vehicle and a pedestrian, even though pedestrians may be at fault, the driver of the vehicle is always told to assume full responsibility of the accident. As least it always appears to be the case.

Sounds unreasonable? You bet, but all things considered, this is perhaps the right thing to do. In moments of life and death, you perhaps shouldn’t quibble over trifles such as whether they were right or wrong to walk down a road. If you really want to be reasonable, be reasonable before the incident by hitting the brakes and stop.

If you really really want to be reasonable, perhaps you should stop driving a car altogether – that will save you from trouble in more ways than one, I’m sure.

Anyways, that’s “right of way”, an expression that basically means you have the right to do what you want to on the road, or in other circumstances. In fact, I came across this expression the other day in reading A Room with a View, by E. M. Forster. The passage containing “the right of way” runs as follows:

“Lucy, I want to ask something of you that I have never asked before.”

At the serious note in his voice she stepped frankly and kindly towards him.

“What, Cecil?”

“Hitherto never—not even that day on the lawn when you agreed to marry me—“

He became self-conscious and kept glancing round to see if they were observed. His courage had gone.

“Yes?”

“Up to now I have never kissed you.”

She was as scarlet as if he had put the thing most indelicately.

“No—more you have,” she stammered.

“Then I ask you—may I now?”

“Of course, you may, Cecil. You might before. I can’t run at you, you know.”

At that supreme moment he was conscious of nothing but absurdities. Her reply was inadequate. She gave such a business-like lift to her veil. As he approached her he found time to wish that he could recoil. As he touched her, his gold pince-nez became dislodged and was flattened between them.

Such was the embrace. He considered, with truth, that it had been a failure. Passion should believe itself irresistible. It should forget civility and consideration and all the other curses of a refined nature. Above all, it should never ask for leave where there is a right of way.

Interesting? Intrigued? Go read that book, a really good one.

No more media examples necessary for today.

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About the author:

Zhang Xin is Trainer at chinadaily.com.cn. He has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.

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（作者张欣 中国日报网英语点津 编辑：陈丹妮）