Yielding to emergency vehicles is legally required for all motor vehicle operators.
Officer Injured by a Pickup That Failed to Yield
An officer on a motorcycle was thrown from his bike, hit by a pickup, and then was dragged for a short way underneath it as it failed to follow another officer’s instructions to move over, according to a San Antonio Express-News report. The officer was attempting to make a lane change and move to the front of the procession from the back. The leading officer signaled the approaching pickup to remain to the right, but the pickup ignored the instruction heading straight and colliding with the officer. The officer was taken to the hospital with road rash injuries, lacerations, and possible back injuries and is expected to fully recover.
Did You Know?
Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths for police officers, according to data from the CDC.
Yielding to Emergency Vehicles
Operators of emergency vehicles have the responsibility to operate their emergency vehicles with a reasonable duty of care for the safety of passengers and other motorists, as all motor vehicle operators do, according to the Texas Transportation Code. However, in order to perform their duties effectively, emergency vehicles often need to cut through traffic, and other motorists are required by law to get out of the way and let this happen, as well as obey other safety rules such as:
- Yeilding Right of Way – motorists in Texas are required to move over as far right as possible to allow a signaling emergency vehicle to pass. This includes bringing the vehicle to a complete stop until the emergency vehicle has fully passed.
- Passing Emergency Vehicles – if an emergency vehicle is stopped but still signaling on the side of the road or in a lane, passing vehicles must vacate the lane closest to the emergency vehicle. If this is not possible, the passing motorists must slow down to at least 20 miles per hour slower than the posted speed limit or to 5 miles per hour if the speed limit is less than 25 miles per hour.
Failing to Yield
Failing to yield to an emergency vehicle involves at least one of the following violations:
- Failed to come to a complete stop
- Moved in front of and/or obstructed the path of the emergency vehicle
- Failed to allow the emergency vehicle to pass
This violation is a punishable offense and can result in fines of no more than $2,000 if there was no bodily injury as a result or fines up to $4,000 if there was bodily injury as a result of the violation. Failure to yield may also result in a point to the driver’s record, which could increase insurance rates per each point received.
Traffic Ticket Attorneys Serving San Antonio
Even when a person uses their best judgment, they can still face fines or points for failure to yield. Simply paying the fine admits guilt and goes on your record, which could cause you problems in other areas of your life. If you have received a traffic ticket for failure to yield despite using your best judgment, contact the traffic ticket attorneys at Carabin Shaw today at 800-862-1260. We have thirty years of experience serving San Antonio and the resources necessary to represent you in court, so you can spend your valuable time elsewhere. We look forward to serving you.