Avoiding Failure to Yield Accidents in North Georgia and Chattanooga, Tennessee
Understanding who has the right of way when on the road and why you should yield are the foundations of defensive driving. Failure to yield is a factor in roughly 15% of all automobile accidents, according to the National Safety Council, and accounts for approximately 7% of all fatal crashes, or about 3,500 annual fatalities.
There are several causes of failure to yield accidents in North Georgia and Chattanooga, TN – from distracted driving and impaired driving to adverse weather conditions. With the holidays coming up and a potential cold snap on the way, let’s discuss where and when failure to yield accidents occur and what you can do to prevent a catastrophic injury.
Recognizing a Yield Sign
Yield Signs are triangular signs which look like an upside-down triangle. The signs can be red and white.
- “Yield” means let other road users go first. It’s not just other cars. Don’t forget about bicycles and pedestrians.
- Unlike with stop signs, drivers aren’t required to come to a complete stop at a yield sign and may proceed without stopping – provided that it is safe to do so.
- Vehicles on the roundabout (coming from the left) have priority over those entering it, who are faced with a Yield sign.
What Does It Mean to Fail To Yield?
When a driver does not slow down (and perhaps stop entirely) at an intersection or at merging lanes where the other lane has the right of way, they have failed to yield.
Accidents resulting from failure to yield frequently happen in particular situations where right-of-way regulations play an important role in regulating traffic movement. These incidents most often occur at intersections, during merges onto roads, and in encounters with vulnerable road users. Furthermore, these catastrophic accidents can cause spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries that can alter the rest of your life.
Why and Where Failure To Yield Accidents Happen
Failure-to-yield accidents are a common result of driver errors, such as miscalculating the speed of oncoming traffic, lack of awareness (often due to distracted driving), or aggressive driving behavior.
We all need to be fully aware of all signs, vehicles and people on while we’re driving.
As recently discussed, everyone is susceptible to what is known as “self-serving bias” — the idea that our own risky maneuvers are justified, while others’ mistakes are inexcusable. Yield signs exacerbate this bias, since it allows traffic to continue, with caution – like a constant yellow light. In Blue Ridge, near Cartersville, GA, yield signs stand out and indicate slowing down or stopping for oncoming traffic when turning right off of GA-515 on to Old Highway 5.
Adverse weather conditions also increase the frequency of failure to yield accidents by impairing visibility, reducing vehicle control, and lengthening stopping distances.
Drivers in North Georgia and Chattanooga, TN are expected to use due care in all conditions, and failing to adapt to weather-related hazards is a common cause of these preventable accidents.
Actionable Tips for Drivers
To help prevent failure-to-yield accidents, remember these critical safety guidelines:
- Never Assume: Do not assume other drivers will give you the right-of-way, even if traffic laws indicate they should. Always be prepared for others to make mistakes.
- Prepare to Yield: Understand the situations where you must yield the right-of-way, such as when approaching a yield sign, at a T-intersection, when making a left turn, or when entering a roadway from a driveway or side street.
- Watch for Vulnerable Road Users: Be especially vigilant for bicycles and pedestrians, who have the right of way in crosswalks and other specified areas. A driver's failure to yield is a top contributor to cyclist and pedestrian deaths.
- Stay Alert: Avoid distractions while driving and pay full attention to the road and surrounding traffic conditions.
- Use Caution at Intersections: Intersections are high-risk areas. Slow down and ensure the path is clear before proceeding.
Adhering to traffic laws and maintaining a non-assuming, courteous attitude is key to avoiding these preventable collisions.
Yielding is not optional—it’s the law. Pritchard Injury Firm has represented clients who were struck because a driver was in a hurry, failed to slow down, or simply assumed a pedestrian would wait. Courts and juries take a very dim view of such negligence.
Your GA/TN Pedestrian and Car Wreck Lawyer
Contact a lawyer if you or your loved one was injured, or died, from an injury caused by the actions of another driver. Pritchard Injury Firm’s North Georgia/TN fatal accident lawyers can evaluate the claim and take steps to build and strengthen your case. Contact Pritchard Injury Firm for a free consultation.