Washington Right of Way Laws

Washington contains nearly 168,000 miles of roadway, including 7,000 miles of state highways. Like all states, Washington’s tangle of roads includes many intersections and entrance and exit ramps requiring traffic to merge.

In all situations where roads and lanes intersect in Washington, drivers must know and follow the state’s right-of-way laws. Failure to yield the right of way in Washington can result in a devastating accident. In a right-of-way accident, the driver who failed to adhere to traffic law is liable for damages to injury victims.

If you’ve been injured in a crash involving a failure to yield, a Renton car accident lawyer can help you understand your rights and pursue compensation for your losses.

Understanding Right of Way In Washington’s Controlled and Uncontrolled Intersections

A driver’s “right-of-way” defines their right to proceed forward with their vehicle into an intersection or their right to occupy a roadway space under the state’s traffic laws. Right-of-way laws also apply to pedestrians in crosswalks, bicycle lanes, and traffic merging situations.

Right-of-Way In an Uncontrolled Intersection

An uncontrolled intersection in Washington lacks traffic lights or signs to regulate traffic flow. At an uncontrolled intersection, the driver on the left must yield to the driver on the right if both drivers stop at the intersection at the same time.

Drivers making left turns at uncontrolled intersections must always yield to oncoming traffic and wait until the way is clear or until they have sufficient time to make the turn and reach the speed of traffic flow before the next vehicle approaches.

Right-of-Way In a Controlled Intersection

A controlled intersection is one guided by traffic lights or a traffic sign. At intersections with traffic lights, drivers may pass through a green light. They have a legal duty to slow down when the light turns yellow and prepare to stop, unless they are close enough to the light to pass through the intersection safely before it turns red.

A red light requires the driver to stop and wait until the light changes to green before proceeding. In most intersections, a driver may make a right turn on a red light if the way is clear, provided there is no sign prohibiting right turns on red lights or restricting the maneuver to limited hours.

Right-of-way laws at controlled and uncontrolled intersections are meant to promote the smooth flow of traffic and prevent accidents and injuries.

Washington’s Right of Way When Merging Into Traffic Lanes

When merging into a lane of traffic, the moving traffic always has the right of way. This rule applies when merging from an entrance ramp onto a multilane highway or when exiting a highway exit ramp into traffic.

It also applies in any situation where a MERGE sign directs traffic. Drivers exiting a parking lot or driveway and turning right must yield the right-of-way to moving traffic and merge into the lane when it’s clear. Drivers exiting parking lots or driveways and making a left must yield the right-of-way to traffic in both directions.

Vehicles entering roundabouts must yield the right-of-way to traffic already in the roundabout and follow the speed and following distances of the vehicles already in the roundabout to avoid impeding traffic flow.

Washington’s Pedestrian Right-of-Way Laws

Drivers in Washington must yield the right of way to pedestrians in crosswalks. All intersections in Washington are considered crosswalks, regardless of whether a marked crosswalk is present. Pedestrians must follow Washington’s pedestrian traffic laws and use traffic signals when available, but drivers have a legal duty to use all due care to avoid a collision with a vulnerable pedestrian.

How Can a Washington Car Accident Attorney Help?

If you or a close family member suffered an injury due to a driver’s failure to yield the right of way, you deserve the kind of experienced legal representation that gets results. Contact us at Caffee Accident & Injury Lawyers for a free consultation so we can take prompt action on your case.