What's happening
This bill requires drivers to yield to vehicles merging into adjacent lanes or avoiding obstacles, and prohibits speeding up during merges.
Why it matters
Promotes safer merging. By requiring drivers already in a lane to yield to those signaling a merge, this law aims to reduce collisions and road rage incidents during lane changes, especially in heavy or fast-moving traffic.
Discourages aggressive driving. Prohibiting drivers from speeding up when another vehicle is trying to merge helps prevent dangerous "blocking" behavior, fostering more courteous and predictable driving.
Improves response to obstacles. By mandating that drivers yield to vehicles avoiding obstacles, the bill prioritizes immediate safety and ensures smoother, safer navigation around road hazards or blockages.
Could affect liability in accidents. These clear right-of-way rules may influence how fault is determined in collisions during merging or when swerving to avoid obstacles, potentially impacting insurance claims and legal outcomes.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Yield to Merging Drivers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2095
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 22, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. PERRY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to right of way for vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "the yield to the driver ahead act".
§ 2. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new section 1147 to read as follows:
§ 1147. Vehicle merging into an adjacent lane. (a) The driver of a vehicle on any roadway which has been divided into two or more clearly marked lanes for traffic to travel in the same direction shall yield the right of way to all vehicles which have given an appropriate signal of intention to merge right or left and shall not increase the speed of their vehicle until such merge has been completed.
(b) The driver of a vehicle on any roadway where an obstacle has blocked one or more lanes shall yield the right of way to all vehicles seeking to avoid such obstacle.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07215-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.