November 5, 2007

Vehicle Entering Stop or Yield Intersection or Highway

CHAPTER 265, RULES OF THE ROAD, Overtaking and Passing, Highway Markings, Right of Way, Section 265:30 Vehicle Entering Stop or Yield Intersection or Highway.
I. Except when directed to proceed by a police officer or traffic control signal, every driver of a vehicle approaching a stop intersection indicated by a stop sign shall stop as required by RSA 265:31, II, and after having stopped shall yield the right of way to any vehicle which has entered the intersection from another highway or which is approaching so closely on said highway as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time when such driver is moving across or within the intersection.
II. The driver of a vehicle approaching a yield sign shall in obedience to such sign slow down to a speed reasonable for the existing conditions and shall yield the right of way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another highway so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time such driver is moving across or within the intersection. If such a driver is involved in a collision with a vehicle in the intersection after driving past a yield sign without yielding, such collision shall be deemed prima facie evidence of his failure to yield right of way.
III. The driver of a vehicle using an entrance ramp onto a highway shall yield to the vehicles on the highway, regardless of whether there is a yield sign on the entrance ramp.

• When entering a highway, drivers should attempt to merge at highway speeds, but if there is traffic on the right-of- way the vehicle on the ramp must yield and stop if necessary. Yield does not mean slow down, it means stop when there is traffic that has the right-of-way. As stated in Section II, if you are involved in an accident the law deems you at fault by the mere fact that you did not yield.