Shark's teeth and the stop line
| Topic | What the rule says | What you do | Where it goes wrong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shark's teeth | Triangles on the road surface pointing at you mean: give way to drivers on the crossing road. Art. 63 lifts that above the priority-to-the-right rule. | Slow down and enter only when the crossing road is clear; stop only if necessary. | Taking them for a warning because no sign accompanies them. They ARE the sign — no board is required. |
| Which way the point faces | The teeth are on the side that must give way, with the point facing that driver. Whoever sees the points from the side does not have them. | When in doubt look at which way the points face — that is quicker than looking for a sign. | Thinking teeth on the other road bind you too. They apply to whoever sees them ahead, not to everyone at the junction. |
| Stop line without a duty to stop | The line says WHERE you stop, not WHETHER you stop. The duty comes from elsewhere — a red light, sign B7 or an instruction. | First look for what creates the duty to stop; if there is nothing, the line is only a marking. | Braking at every line. That surprises whoever is behind you, and it is exactly how rear-end collisions arise. |
| When the marking is invisible | If the marking disappears under snow or leaves, priority falls back on what remains: first the traffic light (art. 64), otherwise the priority-to-the-right rule (art. 15(1)). | With invisible marking assume an equal junction and give way to the right — and do not insist on your right. | Trusting that the other driver knows teeth are there. He sees what you see, namely snow. |
The law itself
- RVV1990 art. 80
«Haaientanden hebben de volgende betekenis: de bestuurders moeten voorrang verlenen aan bestuurders op de kruisende weg.»
- RVV1990 art. 79
«Bestuurders moeten voor een voor hen bestemde stopstreep stoppen, indien stoppen op grond van dit besluit is verplicht.»
- RVV1990 art. 63
«Verkeerstekens gaan boven verkeersregels, voor zover deze regels onverenigbaar zijn met deze tekens.»
- RVV1990 art. 64
«Verkeerslichten gaan boven verkeerstekens die de voorrang regelen.»
- RVV1990 art. 15 lid 1
«Op kruispunten verlenen bestuurders voorrang aan voor hen van rechts komende bestuurders.»
Verified on: