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When to Yield the Legal Right of Way in Texas

Hogan Leatherwood

When to Yield the Legal Right of Way in Texas

Understanding Texas right-of-way laws is vital for preventing accidents and staying safe on the road. A single driver’s failure to yield can cause devastating crashes, especially at intersections, crosswalks, and highway entrances.

Key Texas Right-of-Way Rules

Drivers in Texas must follow specific right-of-way rules, including:

  • Vehicles merging from an unpaved road must yield to traffic on paved roads.
  • Left-turning drivers must yield to oncoming vehicles and pedestrians.
  • Right-turning drivers must yield to through traffic and pedestrians.
  • Trains always have the right of way.
  • At intersections without signals, yield to vehicles already in the intersection and to those on the right.
  • Vehicles entering a main road from alleys or private drives must yield to traffic.
  • All drivers must yield to emergency vehicles with active sirens or flashing lights.
  • All drivers must yield to school buses with flashing stop signals.

Failure to follow these rules often results in collisions such as rear-end accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, and fatal car accidents.

Pedestrian Right-of-Way in Texas

Texas law strongly protects pedestrians. Drivers must:

  • Yield to pedestrians crossing at both marked and unmarked crosswalks, even if they are crossing illegally.
  • Allow pedestrians to finish crossing if the light changes to red while they are in the crosswalk.

Collisions caused by failure to yield to pedestrians often lead to serious injuries. Related cases include:

Immediate Action is Crucial

If you or a loved one has been injured due to another driver’s failure to yield the right of way, it is important to act quickly. The attorneys at Leatherwood Law have recovered millions for clients in car accident cases and distracted driving crashes.

📞 Call us at 1-877-664-6665
✉️ Email Intake@leatherwoodfirm.com

We provide free, no-obligation case evaluations. Protect your health, your rights, and your financial future by contacting our team today.