Right-of-way is the legal right to go first or to use a particular space. When two cars reach an intersection at the same time, traffic laws determine which driver has the right-of-way and can proceed while the other waits. At a four-way stop, the car that arrived first has the right-of-way. When a pedestrian steps into a crosswalk, they have the right-of-way over cars.

The term also means a strip of land that someone has legal permission to use, even if they don't own it. A railroad company might have right-of-way through private property, meaning their trains can legally pass through. Utility companies often have right-of-way to maintain power lines or water pipes that cross someone's land.

Understanding right-of-way matters for safety. A cyclist might technically have the right-of-way at an intersection, but stopping anyway if a car doesn't yield can help avoid a crash. Having the right-of-way means you're legally allowed to go first, but it doesn't create a force field around you. Sometimes people choose to let someone else go, even when the rules say it's their turn.