Lake Worth, Florida, Personal Injury & Accident Lawyers

Florida has many laws that govern how drivers share the road. Some of the most important address which driver should go first at intersections and which ones should yield. For instance, one Florida statute says that “the right-of-way at an intersection may be indicated by stop signs or yield signs.”

Drivers have to yield not just at intersections but also when getting off and on highways, leaving parking spaces or merging lanes. And drivers aren’t the only ones required to yield and let someone else have the right of way. Pedestrians, motorcyclists and bike riders also have rules for who gets to go and who has to wait.

These rules exist to prevent auto accidents from occurring when two people try to progress at the same time. Unfortunately, if one driver, pedestrian, biker or motorcycle rider fails to yield as required, an accident can happen. When that occurs, it’s important to contact a lawyer to protect your legal rights.

Failure to Yield Auto Accidents: A Closer Look at Florida Statistics 

The Florida Traffic Crash statistics for 2011 lack specific information on the number of accidents attributed to a driver’s failure to yield. However, the 2010 statistics are available and shed light on the danger created by failing to yield. According to the data:

• A failure to yield served as a contributing factor in 207 fatal injury crashes. This accounted for 11.6 percent of all fatal crashes. Failure to yield ranked as one of the top causes of fatal crashes in Florida.
• A failure to yield the right of way served as a contributing factor in 17.32 percent of injury crashes. It contributed to a total of 20,750 injury-causing accidents.
• A failure to yield the right of way also served as a contributing cause of 6,413 accidents that caused only vehicle or property damage. This reflects 13.41 percent of total property damage accidents.

As these statistics show, failure to yield is a very common reason for drivers to become involved in an accident. When law enforcement is called to the scene of the crash and determines one driver failed to yield, that driver can be ticketed. The ticket can be used as important evidence in a Florida car accident lawsuit.

Where Do Failure to Yield Accidents Occur?

A failure to yield accident can occur any time a driver, pedestrian or bike rider is supposed to let another go first and fails to do so.

Failure to yield crashes often occur when drivers:

• Make a left turn and fail to yield to oncoming traffic.
• Proceed through intersections without yielding the right of way.
• Disobey traffic control devices, including stop signs, red lights, flashing yellows and turning arrows.
• Do not respect the right of way of a bike or pedestrian.
• Encounter an emergency vehicle and fail to yield.
• Proceed through on-ramps when drivers are merging.
• Force merging when a lane is closed.
• Collide with bike riders or pedestrians who are crossing against the light.
• Exit a parking space, parking lot or private drive.

In these and other similar situations, drivers, motorcycle riders, pedestrians or bikers could cause a crash if they fail to wait their turn.

Causes of Failure to Yield Accidents

If drivers obey the rules of the road, pay attention to their surroundings and wait until they have the right of way, failure to yield accidents shouldn’t happen. Unfortunately, drivers engage in behaviors that make these types of wrecks more likely. For example, some common causes of failure to yield accidents include:

• Drivers misjudging speeds of other drivers or bicycle riders
• Driver distraction
• Drunk driving
• Aggressive driving
• Drowsy driving
• Speeding.

In any situation where a driver doesn’t pay attention or respect the rights of others on the road, a failure to yield crash can occur.

Contact a Florida Car Accident Lawyer for Help with Your Failure to Yield Accident 

If you or a loved one has been injured by a driver who failed to yield the right of way, a Florida car accident lawyer can help. At Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney, we can help you to build a case and prove the other driver’s negligence led to your harm. To learn more or schedule your free consultation, call us today at our toll-free number or use our online form.

Sources

• Florida Traffic Crash Facts 2011, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• Florida Traffic Crash Facts 2010, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles