Priority roadPoland

An introduction to the traffic rules and road signs of Poland. Learn about driving, road safety and much more in our illustrated book, with answers to frequently asked questions.

For informational purposes only. Always follow official regulations. Some content and images were created with AI assistance.


26. Priority road

A priority road is a road whose traffic is given priority over traffic entering from intersecting roads. It is normally identified by a priority-road sign, while an end sign indicates where that continuing priority status stops.

Drivers on a priority road must still obey traffic lights, authorised officers, speed limits, crossings and turning rules. Having priority never allows a driver to proceed when doing so would create danger or block an intersection.

Priority-road sign in Prusy Dolne. (Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland)
Wikimedia.org • MOs810 • CC BY
How does priority-road status work in Poland?

Poland calls a signed priority road a droga z pierwszeństwem. A supplementary diagram can show its changing course; the end sign removes that continuing priority status.

🔗 eli.gov.pl • Poland, Road Traffic Law — articles 25; Signs 43 and T6 supplementary panels

🔗 eli.gov.pl • Poland, traffic signs and signals — 2019/2310 consolidation, read with subsequent amendments

Start of a priority road. Start of a priority road.

English • Traffic sign D-1 • Priority road. Sign D-1 marks the beginning or continuation of a priority road.

Polski • D-1 • droga z pierwszeństwem. Znak D-1 „droga z pierwszeństwem” oznacza początek lub kontynuację drogi z pierwszeństwem.

Sources

🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org
🔗 Eli.gov.pl • § 43 ust. 1

SVG source: Commons.wikimedia.org • Original SVG
Szczepan dyskusja Mail 18:29, 31 December 2006 (UTC) • Public domain • Original revision 2025-10-11. Wikimedia original unmodified.

Artwork reviewed against the Polish official sign catalogue, Dz.U. 2019 poz. 2310: Eli.gov.pl • D-1, PDF page 44, with amendments 2021/433, 2021/2065, 2022/2372 and 2026/133 checked. Catalogue-equivalent illustration; intentional update from the previous PNG. This is an educational illustration, not a manufacturing specification.

End of the priority road. End of the priority road.

English • Traffic sign D-2 • End of the priority road. Sign D-2 marks the end of a priority road.

Polski • D-2 • koniec drogi z pierwszeństwem. Znak D-2 „koniec drogi z pierwszeństwem” oznacza koniec drogi z pierwszeństwem.

Sources

🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org
🔗 Eli.gov.pl • § 43 ust. 3

SVG source: Commons.wikimedia.org • Original SVG
Szczepan dyskusja Mail 18:29, 31 December 2006 (UTC) • Public domain • Original revision 2025-10-11. Wikimedia original unmodified.

Artwork reviewed against the Polish official sign catalogue, Dz.U. 2019 poz. 2310: Eli.gov.pl • D-2, PDF page 44, with amendments 2021/433, 2021/2065, 2022/2372 and 2026/133 checked. Catalogue-equivalent illustration; intentional update from the previous PNG. This is an educational illustration, not a manufacturing specification.

How can you tell where a priority road applies in Poland?

Read the priority-road sign, the corresponding end indication and any supplementary junction diagram. Distinguish a continuing road designation from a sign that regulates only one junction. If a diagram shows the priority route turning, follow that diagram rather than assuming the straight-ahead road has priority.

🔗 eli.gov.pl • Poland, Road Traffic Law — articles 25; Signs 43 and T6 supplementary panels

🔗 eli.gov.pl • Poland, traffic signs and signals — 2019/2310 consolidation, read with subsequent amendments

Does having road priority let you ignore other controls in Poland?

No. Obey the applicable traffic signals and authorised directions, speed limits and crossing rules. Turning or changing lanes can require yielding, and having priority never permits entering a conflict that cannot be crossed safely.

🔗 eli.gov.pl • Poland, Road Traffic Law — articles 25; Signs 43 and T6 supplementary panels

🔗 eli.gov.pl • Poland, traffic signs and signals — 2019/2310 consolidation, read with subsequent amendments

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