Young Drivers

Developing good driving habits and being a "role model" when you drive is particularly important for young drivers and parents of young drivers.

Nearly half of all new drivers aged 15 to 19 are convicted of a traffic violation in their first year of driving. Half of these convictions are for speeding violations.

Encouraging young drivers to speed or speeding while they are in the car can motivate them to develop dangerous driving habits of their own.

Purpose of the Law

Imagine Virginia without traffic laws. Road speeds would accelerate dangerously as unskilled and reckless drivers set their own rules, dodging and weaving through traffic like a personal pinball game. Unmarked and uncontrolled intersections would become killing fields.

Traffic laws are not designed to set traps for you. They are designed to keep traffic flowing in an orderly manner, so everyone can get to their destination on time. Traffic laws are also designed to keep you safe.

"Right-of-Way" and Intersections

The most important thing to remember about the right-of-way is that it should be given, but never taken. If another driver is not following the rules, let them have the right-of-way, even if it is rightfully yours. If you insist on taking the right-of-way, you are gambling with your life, as well as the lives of your passengers, other drivers, and pedestrians.

Drivers are required to yield to other drivers in order to avoid accidents. At any intersection where there is a stop sign, you may proceed only after yielding the right-of-way to any other vehicle at the crossroad that does not have a stop sign. At intersections where there are no stop signs, yield signs, or traffic signals, the driver of the vehicle on the right has the right-of-way whenever vehicles approach the intersection from different roadways at the same time.

"The first one to stop should be the first one to go." Although this may seem obvious, proceed only when it is safe to do so. If proceeding into the intersection seems likely to cause an accident, then you should always yield and allow others to go. If the driver on your left illegally fails to yield, you are still required to yield in the interest of safety.

When in doubt as to whether the right-of-way will be given to you or not, communicate with the other driver or drivers.

Don’t be dead right – be ready to yield to avoid an accident, regardless of the law. Safety should always be your first concern.

There are three things you need to remember:

• Do not delay traffic behind you; take your turn when it comes.
• If another driver tries to take your turn, let him/her proceed; it might prevent an accident.
• Courtesy and common sense should always govern your actions.

Using Common Sense to Avoid Accidents

Here are some examples of situations where allowing common sense and courtesy to govern your actions could prevent a collision:

• When turning left from an intersection, alley or driveway, first yield the right-of-way to all traffic coming from the opposite direction, proceeding only when a safe interval occurs.
• When you approach a yield sign, slow down to a speed that is slow enough for you to evaluate the conditions for merging. If it is necessary to stop for the purpose of safety, follow the procedure outlined above for intersections.
• When you approach a merge sign, adjust your speed and position to avoid a collision with another vehicle.
• After getting the green light at intersections, do not proceed until all cross traffic has cleared the intersection safely.
• If you are about to enter or cross a highway from an alley, private road, or highway, you must yield the right-of-way to all other vehicles on the street or highway you are about to enter.

Signaling Distance Before You Turn

When you approach an intersection in an urban or suburban area and are planning to turn, indicate the turn using your turn signal for the last 100 feet before you reach the intersection. Slow down to approximately 5 MPH and make the turn only when it is safe to do so.

Stopping Limits

If you approach an intersection controlled by a stop sign, you must make a full stop before you enter the crosswalk. If there is a wide white line painted on the street (a "limit line"), if not the edge of the crosswalk indicates where you must stop.

When a crosswalk or limit line is not marked, stop at the corner. Check for traffic and wait until it is safe before you proceed across the intersection.

At intersections controlled by traffic lights, stop behind the limit line whenever the light is red and only proceed across the intersection when the light is green and the intersection is clear.

Right Turns

Start your right turn in the lane nearest to the right-hand curb and end the turn in the lane nearest to the right-hand curb. Never swing wide into another lane of traffic. You may start a right turn from a lane other than the far right lane only where pavement or overhead signs show that using that lane for a right turn is permitted.

Do not change lanes while you are turning. If you start your turn in the middle lane (where it is permitted), do not end it in a different lane.

"Right on Red"

Unless marked otherwise, it is legal in Virginia to turn right at a red light. Before you do so, you must come to a complete stop behind the limit line or crosswalk. Once you are certain that you can do so safely, you may turn right, being careful not to interfere with pedestrians, bicyclists, or vehicles who are crossing the intersection with their green light.

In many cases, "No Right on Red" signs are small and hard to see. Make sure you come to a complete stop, check for signs, and make sure it is safe before you turn. It is also legal, unless marked otherwise, onto turn left from a one-way street on to another one-way street, with the same restrictions for a right on red.

Automated Red Light Enforcement

Local jurisdictions are now permitted to use red light cameras whenever they like, so long as the use of a camera at that intersection is clearly posted. For the first 30 days after installing a red light camera, the police are required to issue written warnings to violators, rather than citations.

Simultaneous Turns

When you turn, it is very important that you stay in your own lane and do not "drift" to either side. Make sure you end the turn in the same lane you started.

Whether you are making a left turn at the same time as someone coming in the opposite direction or are turning simultaneously with someone going in your direction, your turning pattern is difficult for others to predict and your drifting could easily cause an accident.

Stopping for Emergency Vehicles

What should you do when you hear a siren or see an emergency vehicle?

If the emergency vehicle is behind you:

• Immediately move to the right of your lane, to another lane or to the shoulder if possible.
• If moving right is not possible, stay where you are. Do not move left. The emergency vehicle driver will move left when he or she sees that you cannot move right.
• Make your moves based on those of the emergency vehicle.

Always comply with any order from police, fire fighters, traffic officers, or other officials at the scene of an emergency. You must obey any traffic direction, order, or signal given by any of these officials, even if it conflicts with existing signs, signals, or laws.

The failure to obey laws governing "Right-of-Way" is the second most common traffic violation among U.S. drivers. Each year, right-of-way violations are responsible for over 6,000 deaths and another 500,000 injuries.

Nearly 90% of all drivers involved in accidents claim that they had the right-of-way. Obviously, they can't all be right. The right-of-way is a weak thread to hang the lives of your family by.