5.2: RIGHT OF WAY RULES ARE ESSENTIAL

How can you avoid a collision? You need to know the right of way rules to determine who should go first and who should wait.

What is the Right of Way?

Never assume that you automatically have the right of way. As a good driver, you will sometimes have to yield the right of way or let others go first. The right of way is given by someone. The right of ways laws are very clear in identifying who shall yield to whom in almost every situation. The rule that you must yield the right of way in order to avoid a collision overrides all the others. 

Right of way laws of all states are based on the Uniform Vehicle Code. Therefore, the laws about when drivers should yield the right of way are the same from state to state. 

When Should You Yield the Right of Way?

Here are the three situations in which you must yield the right of way:

• You must yield to any emergency vehicle that has its sirens on and its lights flashing. Move to the far right of the road and stop if you are on a two way, two lane roadway or on a multiple lane highway going in the same direction as the emergency vehicle. If you are going in the opposite direction on a multiple lane road you do not have to stop but you should move to the right.
   
• You must yield to blind persons carrying a white cane or using a guide dog no matter where they cross.

• You must yield to any pedestrians at crosswalks. One of the most common violations in fatal collisions involving more than one car is a driver’s failure to yield the right of way. On a non divided highway, drivers must stop when meeting or overtaking a school bus that is loading or unloading children.