The German rule giving priority to traffic from the right at many unsigned junctions is called “Rechts vor links.”
The phrase literally means “right before left.” Where no traffic lights, priority signs, or other controls establish a different order, a driver generally gives way to traffic approaching from the right. The rule is common on German urban streets and at intersections where priority has not been otherwise indicated.
It does not apply indiscriminately. Signs can designate a priority road, and special situations such as roundabouts, driveways, pedestrian areas, or roads emerging from certain restricted areas may have different treatment. Drivers must also account for cyclists, pedestrians, and local markings.
The rule is often confused with a general European assumption that the larger or wider road has priority. Under “Rechts vor links,” visual size alone does not decide the junction. The absence of a priority sign is important, so drivers approaching an apparently ordinary intersection should reduce speed and check the right-hand side.