VIDEO: Special Right-of-Way Rules

All your fleet drivers need a solid grasp of right-of-way rules. This knowledge promotes safer driving practices and also helps prevent driver confusion and indecision – contributing factors in many crashes.

Here are a few rules provided by the California DMV. You may want to pass them along to your fleet drivers as a friendly reminder.

• Never assume other drivers will give you the right of way. Yield the right of way whenever doing so helps to prevent a collision.

• Respect the right of way for pedestrians. Always stop for any pedestrian crossing at corners or other crosswalks, even if the crosswalk is in the middle of the block or at a corner without traffic lights. It doesn’t matter whether or not painted lines mark the crosswalk.

• At intersections without stop or yield signs, slow down and be ready to stop. Yield to traffic and pedestrians already in the intersection or just entering the intersection. Also yield to the vehicle or bicycle that arrives first, or to the vehicle or bicycle on your right if it reaches the intersection at the same time as you.

• At T intersections without stop or yield signs, yield to traffic and pedestrians on the through road. They have the right of way.

• When you turn right, be sure to check for pedestrians crossing the street and bicyclists coming up behind you on the right.

Below is a video that explains who has the right of way when a car making a U-turn and a car making a right turn on red are heading for the same lane. Click on the photo or link below to view the video.

VIDEO: Who Has the Right of Way in a U-Turn?

To view another video explaining how to yield right of way to pedestrians, emergency vehicles and school buses, click here or on the photo or link at the very top, just under the headline.