Yielding the Right-of-Way

10/5/2020

Visit any city or town in the US and chances are you will find road construction.  Lanes shut down, intersections crowded with vehicles, jammed to a standstill. People tend to get a little frustrated and, in many cases, decide to take matters into their own hands and break a few traffic regulations. We have all seen cars run stop signs and red lights (maybe we might be guilty of such infractions) as well as other violations that could cause some very serious accidents. So, when we are confronted with someone driving reckless or not yielding the right-of-way, what should we do?  Many times, people get agitated when a fellow motorist does not yield to you when it is your turn to enter an intersection or to change a lane or to exit or merge onto a freeway.

Such a situation recently happened to me when I was rounding a curve and I found myself confronted with an oncoming vehicle that veered out of his/her lane and wound up driving in half my lane. By all means, I could have maintained my course as I was right and therefore the collision that was about to take place would have been the other drivers’ fault. But at what a cost. So, using my better judgement, I hit the brakes and turned my wheel to the right and avoided colliding our two drivers’ side front ends.    

At one time there was a saying in the auto industry, “You may be right…Dead Right.”  So even though it was my right-of-way, I thought it best to yield and avoid what I presumed to be a surely ugly crash. Did I mutter a few things under my breath? Well, maybe….actually I didn’t just mutter.

The point is, that, according to local traffic ordinances, we may have the right-of-way; however, it would be best for all involved, if we yield and avoid an accident.

With the high tensions many of us may be feeling with COVID-19 and the many frustrations associated with our current times, there may be instances – especially while driving – that we may overreact to the driving habits of others. More than ever, practice defensive driving and that means staying calm and watching out for the other guy.  If that means that you need to yield your right-of-way to avoid an accident…so be it. Our friends and family want you around to enjoy this upcoming holiday season!  

The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases

Carl Jung