“It’s my turn!”
“No, it’s my turn!!”
“I was here first!!!”
“No, I was here first!!!!”
“Get out of my way!!!!!”
“No, you’re in my way!!!!!!”
“I’m right!!!!!!!!”
“No, I’m right!!!!!!!!”
“You’re wrong!!!!!!!!!”
“No, you’re wrong!!!!!!!!!”
Sounds like a sibling argument playing itself out in households throughout Florida every day. However, it’s actually the constant traffic battle being played out on Florida’s streets and roads between competing motorists and pedestrians every day at intersections and crossroads. Florida traffic statutes (Florida traffic laws) determine whose turn it is (i.e., who has the right-of-way and who must yield), even if neither vehicle was “first” and both arrived at the same time.
Who has the right-of-way — and who has to yield — is determined by applying Florida traffic laws to the never-ending array of traffic situations on Florida roadways. Florida traffic rules determine whose turn it is to go, stop, move, get out of the way, go through an intersection, make a left- or right-hand turn, go straight, and get off the road.
Basically, yielding the right-of-way means you need to make way, make room, or get out of the way until it’s your turn. If you’re in the way when it’s not your turn, you can get a traffic ticket for failure to yield the right-of-way. If you’re not in the right legally, you’re in the wrong legally and might get a Florida Uniform Traffic Citation for violating the right-of-way.
Knowing when you are required to yield the right-of-way is not always clear in practice. In real-life situations where car drivers, truck drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians encounter each other on Florida streets, roads, and interstates, motorists and pedestrians are often confused about who should go first. Other times, drivers and pedestrians know exactly who has the right-of-way and ignore it, illegally — not to mention rudely — failing to yield the right-of-way. Then, at other times, drivers and pedestrians are distracted and do not realize they have violated the right-of-way when they should have yielded. That is until that failure to yield the right-of-way results in an accident, a collision, or a crash; then everyone realizes there was a violation of the right-of-way.
