Right of way injury accidents are one of the most common accidents which involve injuries. When a driver fails to yield the right of way of a motor vehicle this frequently leads to serious crashes involving other motorists, bicyclists, or pedestrians. Knowing when you are legally required to yield the right of way as driver can avoid many accidents.
Obviously, if a yield sign is posted, then it is the responsibility of the vehicle driver to yield. However, many motor vehicle accidents with serious injuries are caused by not paying attention to right of way laws. A driver of any motorized vehicle, which ranges from a car to a truck or even a motorcycle, is required to yield to certain people in all situations. Any person who is using a seeing eye guide dog, must be yielded to all of the time, as well as persons using a white cane, which shows a disability of sight. This includes canes without a red tip. Also, motorized vehicle drivers must give the right of way if they are turning left. The law states that the driver must yield to all oncoming traffic: pedestrians, cars, and other vehicles. In addition, when you are parked and reentering the roadway, you must follow right of way laws to other vehicles, including bicyclists.
The laws state very clearly who must yield the right of way. Whether posted or not, every driver, motorcyclist, bicyclist, and pedestrian must do everything reasonable to avoid an accident. One of the most frequently misunderstood laws is the one stating you are to yield to the driver on the right. Most intersections are governed by this seemingly simple rule, but it is the one that caused the most confusion. When drivers arrive at an intersection at the same time, the driver on your right should go first.
Pedestrians always have the right of way in California, and should be yielded to particularly in intersections and in crosswalks. However, since bicycles, are considered to be vehicles, they too are subject to the laws which govern other drivers. This means that they do not already automatically have the right of way, but try telling that to a bike who just sails through a stop sign.
Knowing the laws of where you are driving is essential to avoiding right of way motor accidents. You are required to yield to oncoming traffic when making a left hand turn. The law also states that you must yield to all emergency vehicles, construction vehicles including their workers, as well as to school buses.