Give six examples of when you should yield the right of way

There are clear rules of the road concerning yielding to other drivers in certain circumstances outlined in Florida law such as:

• At a four-way stop, the vehicle who got there first has the right of way. If two vehicles get there at the same time, the vehicle to the right should enter the intersection first.
• A driver turning left must yield the right of way to approaching vehicles.
• A driver approaching a yield sign must slow down and yield the right of way to approaching vehicles.
• Similarly, if approaching a traffic control light or a stop sign before entering an intersection, a driver must stop.
• In addition to yielding at intersections, drivers should also yield when getting off and on highways, leaving parking spaces or merging lanes.

These right-of-way traffic laws are designed to keep everyone on the road safe, from drivers to motorcycle riders and even pedestrians. Despite the law, some drivers instead operate as if they always have the right of way and one of the most common causes of Florida vehicle accidents is a failure to yield by a careless or negligent driver.

Two Tragic Examples of the Consequences of Failing to Yield

Sadly, the Palm Beach Post recently reported on two separate examples of the grim outcomes that can occur when there is a failure to yield. In the first, a 35-year-old man died in an early evening collision near Greenacres when a car in which he was a passenger struck a truck after failing to yield. The car was being driven by a 75-year-old woman who collided with the other car while attempting to cross a street before also making impact with both a parked truck and then a house. In addition to the passenger who was fatally injured, the driver who failed to yield and the driver of the truck she collided were both taken to the hospital with injuries.

In contrast, the other recent example demonstrates that it isn’t always the failure of a motorist to yield that results in a collision. Pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicyclists must also adhere to rules for who gets to go and who has to wait. In the second incident, a 44-year-old woman was struck by a car and killed on a weekday morning as she crossed a street. Multiple eyewitnesses told authorities that the car, not the woman, had the right-of-way at the time of the fatal collision.

Have You or a Loved One Been Injured in a Car Accident Because Someone Failed to Yield?

As a firm that represents many injured car accident victims and their families here in the Sunshine State, we want to ensure that you understand that you deserve to learn about your legal rights to monetary compensation for medical expenses, lost earnings, and future care and treatment. The West Palm Beach personal injury attorneys at The Pendas Law Firm have helped many people in similar circumstances figure out how to proceed following a car accident and we offer the legal help you need to be successful with your claim. Contact us for help today.

The Pendas Law Firm also represents clients in the Orlando, Ocala, Tampa, Bradenton, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Fort Myers, Jacksonville and Daytona Beach areas.

At an unsigned crossroad, you must give way to all vehicles approaching from your right. But if you want to turn right, you must give way to all oncoming vehicles too.

If you're driving on a road that ends in a T-intersection, you must give way to all vehicles on the continuing road.

And naturally, if you come to a stop sign or a give way sign, you must give way to all other vehicles as well.

So what happens at an intersection with both a stop and a give way sign? Contrary to popular belief, a stop sign is not more powerful than a give way sign. The signs effectively cancel each other out and normal give way rules still apply. Both must give way to all vehicles, then because car A is turning right, it must give way to car B.

The concept of “right of way” is especially important for young drivers with only a little experience on the road. Many traffic laws only state that the right of way must be yielded, but provide few instructions beyond this. In the most general sense, right of way means who has the legal right to go first on the road.

If you or another driver fails to yield the right of way, you risk colliding with each other, cyclists, or  pedestrians. Here are some tips for understanding who has the right of way in several common driving circumstances.

Controlled Intersections

A controlled intersection is an intersection that has either stop signs or a traffic light. These are the simplest situations to determine right of way because you can use the signs and lights as your guide. If you and another vehicle arrive at a stop sign at the same time, yield to the car to your right side.

Uncontrolled Intersections

Uncontrolled intersections are trickier because there are no yield signs, stop signs, or traffic lights to guide you. As a general rule, you should yield to cars that are already at the intersection. Whoever arrives at the intersection first gets to go first. And similar to stop sign etiquette, you should yield to the car on your right when in doubt.

T Intersections

A T Intersection is an intersection that occurs when a road dead ends into a through street. If you are driving on the dead end road, you must yield to traffic that is going past from the left and right.

Multiple Lane Intersections

Sometimes a one or two-lane road intersects a much larger road or highway. In this circumstance, drivers on the smaller road should yield to vehicles on the larger road. Larger roads often have greater speed limits than smaller roads, so all drivers should be aware of this common fact as well.

Highway On/Off Ramps

Getting onto and off of highway exit ramps can be tricky, especially if there are many lanes or a lot of traffic. Drivers on an access ramp must yield to vehicles traveling on the exit ramp. Sometimes traffic leaving an interstate merges into its own separate lane. Drivers on the access ramp should still yield in this case. However, vehicles that are getting onto a highway must yield to all traffic coming up behind them.