Right of Way Rules in Norway

Priority road sign — yellow diamond — You have priority

End of priority road sign — Priority ends

Give way / yield sign — inverted triangle — Give way

Right of way is where many foreign drivers run into trouble in Norway. The rules are logical once you understand them, but they differ significantly from UK and US conventions. The most important concept: the right-hand rule — and it applies far more often than you’d expect.

The right-hand rule (høyreregelen)

At any intersection without traffic signs, lights, or markings indicating priority, the vehicle approaching from the right has priority. This is the default rule in Norway and applies in situations where UK and US drivers wouldn’t expect it:

Residential areas with no signs
Small crossroads in villages
Minor roads that appear equal in size
Parking areas

If you’re approaching an intersection with no signs, look right. If a car is coming, you must yield.

How to recognise priority

Norway uses clear visual cues:

Yellow diamond sign — you have priority on this road
Inverted triangle (yield sign) — you must give way
Stop sign — complete stop required, then yield
No signs — the right-hand rule applies

The yellow diamond is common on main roads. When you see it, side traffic must yield to you. When priority ends, you’ll see the same sign with a line through it.

Roundabouts

Alexander Kiellands plass roundabout in Oslo with Norwegian yield signs at each entry — Alexander Kiellands plass roundabout, Oslo — inverted triangles at each entry signal yield to circulating traffic. · Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

The rule is straightforward: give way to traffic already in the roundabout. Yield to vehicles coming from your left as you enter. Traffic flows counter-clockwise.

Use your indicators: signal right when exiting the roundabout. In multi-lane roundabouts, position yourself correctly before entering — inside lane for exits past halfway, outside lane for early exits.

Trams

Trams have special priority in Norwegian cities (mainly Oslo and Bergen): always give way to trams. They cannot swerve or stop quickly.

When a tram stops to let passengers on or off, you must stop and wait if there’s no safety island — passengers may step directly onto the road.

Pedestrians

Pedestrians at marked crossings have right of way. You must stop for them. Norwegian pedestrians generally expect cars to stop, so anticipate them stepping onto the crossing.

Practical tips

When in doubt, yield. Better to stop unnecessarily than cause an accident.
The right-hand rule catches tourists in quiet residential areas where cross-traffic unexpectedly has priority.
Watch for the yellow diamond — it’s your clearest indicator of who has priority.
Eye contact helps. At ambiguous intersections, making eye contact with other drivers helps establish who goes first.

How Norway compares

🇬🇧 United Kingdom vs. Norway

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

No general 'priority to the right' rule. Priority determined by road markings, signs, and conventions.

🇳🇴 Norway

Priority to the right at uncontrolled intersections. Roundabouts: yield to traffic already circulating.

Key difference: The biggest adjustment for UK drivers: any vehicle approaching from your right has priority at unmarked intersections. There's no equivalent rule in the UK.

🇺🇸 United States vs. Norway

🇺🇸 United States

Four-way stops common. First to stop has priority. No general right-hand rule.

🇳🇴 Norway

Priority to the right at uncontrolled intersections. No four-way stop concept.

Key difference: There are no four-way stops in Norway. Instead, the right-hand rule applies by default — yield to traffic from the right unless signs say otherwise.