The rules of the road have been used for decades to teach Americans young and old alike how to lawfully operate a motor vehicle on the country’s roadways. Many student drivers pay large amounts of money to private entities who promise to take them from commuting by bus to being in the driver’s seat within a few weeks’ time. Those drivers are often more focused on doing whatever it is they need to do to pass, than actually understanding the point behind driver’s education and the rules that apply to roadway situations. Rules guiding driver behavior such as who yields when merging onto a busy highway, or who has the right-of-way at various intersection situations, were created to protect drivers by allowing them to anticipate how other drivers should behave in certain situations. Failure to abide by these rules may lead to more than a citation also, as thousands of drivers each year discover the consequences the hard way after a crash.
Actions and Reactions
The laws of physics are not only for the classroom. The laws of motion are in play every time someone enters a vehicle and begins to drive. The action of merging onto a highway causes the reaction of cars already on the highway whose drivers must now accommodate another car in the lane. While this is not exactly a true physics lesson, driving does not need to be complicated. In a similar right-of-way rule, South Carolina law states that “the driver of a vehicle intending to turn left within an intersection or into an alley, private road or driveway shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction which is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard.” Failure to obey this and other rules could lead to a traffic citation, legal costs, or liability for an accident.
Consequences
South Carolina’s traffic laws contain provisions that allow for drivers to learn and continue to drive, even if they receive a few citations. The state has a point system that attributes different point values to traffic violations, increasing in number in relation to their severity. For example, operating without proper lights would cost a driver two points, while reckless driving costs a driver six points. These points are added until they reach a certain level, at which point the driver’s license will be suspended. Points will expire also, so even if a driver obtains a few of them throughout their driving career it does not have to lead to suspension. Further, drivers who find themselves facing a high point level traffic violation may be able to argue their case in court and receive a lesser point penalty. Unfortunately for other drivers on the road, these inexperienced motorists can be a hazard if their learning process collides with your car on the roadways.
Have Questions?
If you have been injured in an accident, no matter how minor it may seem, you have options. Call the Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm and speak to an experienced Greenville auto accident attorney who knows South Carolina law and who can act as your guide through the process. Our attorneys can protect your interests and help you recover damages, especially if the driver who hit you was in violation of the law at the time of the accident.