rule of the road

noun phrase

: a customary practice (such as driving always on a particular side of the road or yielding the right of way) developed in the interest of safety and often subsequently reinforced by law
especially : any of the rules making up a code governing ships in matters relating to mutual safety

Examples of rule of the road in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Traffic officers also watch for drivers who are speeding, running red lights or breaking other rules of the road. Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 2 July 2025 But this age-old tradition is being disrupted by an aggressive push to sprinkle in a sampling of commercials between trailers and the regular parade of supplemental spots promoting concessions and rules of the road (as in, no texting!). Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 23 June 2025 The thousands of e-bikes and their operators need some kind of regulation to keep them following the rules of the road and protect the deliveristas and the pedestrians and the motorists while someone’s hot lunch or dinner is being rush from a restaurant. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 10 June 2025 This was a major departure for NHTSA, which does not normally regulate driving behavior and rules of the road, which is the province of the state DMVs. Brad Templeton, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for rule of the road

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rule of the road was in 1798

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Cite this Entry

“Rule of the road.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rule%20of%20the%20road. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

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