Right of Way
YIELDING THE RIGHT OF WAY

  •  To be a safe driver, you need to know when to yield the right of way.

  •  You have the right of way only when others drivers give it to you. You can not take it.

  •  Letting others go first is called “yielding the right of way.”

  •  Sometimes you will yield to prevent an accident.

  •  Sometimes you will let others go first, to be safe.

  •  Sometimes you will yield as an act of courtesy.

SITUATIONS WHEN YOU MUST YIELD THE RIGHT OF WAY

  • Your action should not cause those to whom you should yield the right of way to slow, stop, or change their intended path of travel.

  • Traffic signs and signals only show who should yield right of way. They don’t stop traffic. Others can give you the right of way. Do not assume others will yield to you.

  • Often it’s better to yield right of way even when the law requires the other driver to yield.

  • Failure to yield the right of way is one of the most frequent violations in fatal collisions.

 RIGHT OF WAY LAWS

Yield to emergency vehicles:

  • Sounding a siren or using a flashing light;
  • Stop clear of the intersection close to the curb;
  • Wait for the emergency vehicle to pass.

Yield at stop signs to:

  • Pedestrians in or near the crosswalk;
  • All traffic on the through street.

Yield at fresh green lights to:

  • Pedestrians still in the crosswalks;
  • Vehicles still in the intersection.

Yield coming from an alley, driveway, or private roadway to:

  • Pedestrians before reaching the sidewalk;
  • All vehicles on the street.

Yield at all yield signs to:

  • All pedestrians in or near crosswalks;

  • All vehicles on the cross street.

Yield when turning left at any intersection to:

  • all pedestrians in your turn path;
  • all oncoming vehicles that are at all close.

Yield at four-way stops to:

  • all pedestrians in or near crosswalks;
  • vehicles that arrive first;

  • a vehicle from the right if you arrive at the same time;

Yield at uncontrolled intersections to:

  • pedestrians in or near the crosswalk;

  • any vehicle that has entered the intersection vehicle from the right if you both arrive the same time.

Right-of-way laws

Right-of-way laws are for drivers and pedestrians who wish to use the same roadway space at the same time.
  •  Their purpose is to prevent conflicts by yielding. 
  •  They are rules for deciding who should go first.
  •  They have nothing to do with our basic rights or freedoms.
  •  Giving the right-of-way Is the same as yielding space.
  •  Ask who should first yield space in the roadway ?
  •  You have not yielded if other driver must wait or go slower
    • . Having the right to go first does not always give one the  right to take it. Common sense requires us to take due care to avoid crashes. Whoever has “last clear chance” should prevent the crash.
  • To have the right to go first, you must first be given it. When at least two drivers approach a right-of-way situation, both should be prepared to yield.
  • In case of error, no one will get hurt. 
  • Anyone can become confused in such situations.
  • Being lawfully right does not spare one the cost of any suffering or inconvenience from a crash due to error.

The following are provided for a discussion of the laws.

 RIGHT—OF-WAY LAWS  ENTERING UNMARKED OR OPEN INTERSECTIONS

When two vehicles approach or enter an intersection from different roadways at about the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left must yield the right—of-way to the vehicle on the right.

 

 ENTERING ROADWAY FROM DRIVEWAYS, ALLEYS, AND PARKED POSITIONS

 
     

 The driver entering a roadway from a parked position, standing position, parking lot, shopping area, alley, and private drive shall yield to cars approaching on the roadway and to pedestrians on the sidewalk.

RIGHT-OF-WAY LAWS  LANE ENDS OR IS OBSTRUCTED

RIGHT—OF—WAY LAWS

VEHICLES TURNING LEFT AGAINST TRAFFIC

 

When a lane ends or there is an object in the lane, the driver of a vehicle using this lane shall yield the right—of-way to oncoming vehicles or following vehicles in the adjacent lane.

RIGHT—OF—WAY LAWS

ENTERING INTERSECTIONS CONTROLLED BY SIGNS AND FLASHING REDS

A driver entering an intersection controlled by a stop sign, yield sign, or red flashing signal light shall. yield the right—of—way to any auto in the intersection or approaching from another road. Coming to a complete stop does not relieve a driver of the duty to yield before entering.

INTERSECTIONS CONTROLLED BY TRAFFIC SIGNAL LIGHTS

Drivers facing the steady green signal light, with or without arrows, shall yield the right—of—way to other autos and pedestrians lawfully within the intersection at the time such signal is lighted, Drivers facing the steady red signal light and turning right, when allowed, shall yield the right-of-way to other pedestrians and other vehicles lawfully within the intersection.

RIGHT-OF—WAY LAWS  PEDESTRIANS CROSSING SITUATIONS


The driver of a vehicle must yield to a pedestrian crossing the road at a crosswalk—-marked or unmarked. Pedestrians crossing the roadway other than at a crosswalk must yield to vehicles on the roadway. Blind persons with a white cane or guide dog are an exception to this rule.
 

RIGHT—OF-WAY LAWS  ENTERING AND PASSING THROUGH TRAFFIC CIRCLES


The driver of a car entering the circle shall yield to vehicles already in the circle. The driver of a car within the circle shall yield to another vehicle within the circle and intending to leave the circle.

Yielding to Emergency Vehicles

  • Vehicles are required to yield the right-of-way.
  • Pull parallel to and as close as possible to the edge or curb of the roadway
  • Do not stop in an intersection
  • Remain stopped until the emergency vehicle has passed unless otherwise directed by a police officer
PENALTIES FOR PASSING A STOPPED SCHOOL BUS WITH RED LIGHTS FLASHING

Whoever is Convicted of passing a stopped school bus with overhead red lights  flashing shall for the first offense be fined not less than $100 nor more than $200 or imprisoned not less than 30 days nor more than 60 days or both. For each subsequent like offense occurring within 3 years. Such person shall be fined not less than $100 nor more more than 6 months. The minimum fine for this violation shall not be subject to suspension.

SUSPENSION OF LICENSE  Upon conviction for passing a stopped school bus with overhead red lights flashing, the Motor Vehicle Department shall suspend privileges for a period of not less than 1 month nor more than 1 year. If the drivers license is suspended, a conditional license may be issued pursuant to regulations adopted by the Department.

IDENTIFICATION OF VIOLATORS  If any vehicle is witnessed by a police officer, school bus operator or school crossing guard to be in violation of the school bus stop law and the identity of the operator is not Otherwise apparent, it shall be assumed that the person in whose name such vehicle is registered committed such violation of the school bus stop law.

FIRST OFFENSE - $100 to $200 or 30 to 60 days and 6 points

SECOND OFFENSE - $100 to $500 and 60 days to 6 months and 6 points

The State of Delaware is an equal 00-portunity employer and does not discriminate  or deny services on the basis of race. color, national origin, sex, handicap, and/or age.


Every school day inattentive motorists pass school buses stopped — with overhead red lights flashing — to load or unload children The thousands of Delaware children who ride school uses depend on your cooperation with the bus driver and on your compliance with state law. .Will you be one of those drivers who endangers a Childs life today?

The eight-light system on every Delaware school bus is a traffic control device to protect schoolchildren.  School bus overhead flashing lights are intended to identify the vehicle as a school bus and to inform other users of the highway that the vehicle is about stop or is stopped on the roadway or Shoulder to take on or discharge school children.

The overhead amber warning lights will be activated approximately 10 seconds prior to the Overhead red stop lights to give motorists advance notice that the bus is preparing to stop to pick up or discharge pupils. The overhead amber lights are to be used prior to the red and only when the bus is relatively parallel with the travel way. The bus may be in motion when the overhead amber warning lights are flashing.  Approach a bus using overhead flashing amber lights with caution and anticipate a stop. Children may be waiting for the bus or may be running to board it.

The overhead red flashing lights will be activated when the bus is stopped as far off the main traveled portion of the highway as conditions permit to pick up and discharge pupils. The overhead red flashing lights are not to be displayed while the bus is in motion either before or after a stop.

When a school bus is stooped on a two lane roadway or shoulder approximately parallel to the travel way and displays overhead flashing red lights, the driver of any vehicle approaching this school bus from the front or from the rear shall stop and remain Stopped until the bus no longer has the overhead red stop lights activated. On a roadway with four or more lanes, the driver approaching from the front shall not stop.