When driving in other states, it is important to know the driving laws to avoid tickets or car accidents. If you were driving in West Virginia, would you know enough about their laws to avoid a crash? When traveling through West Virginia, here are some driving laws you should remember in today’s blog.
Right of Way Laws
Every state has unique rules regarding the right of way, and West Virginia is no different. West Virginia emphasizes when drivers must yield the right of way. When drivers are approaching an intersection, for example, they must yield to drivers already in the intersection. This must happen whether a traffic light or stop sign is present. When turning, drivers must also yield the right of way to all oncoming traffic and pedestrians.
Illegal U-Turns
West Virginia law also prohibits drivers from making illegal U-turns. Your U-turn may be considered illegal based on where it takes place. Drivers can make U-turns across a double yellow line or as long as there is no oncoming traffic in a residential area.
At intersections, drivers can also make U-turns if there is no U-turn sign present. When driving on highways, there is usually a sign and an opening that allows drivers to make U-turns when there is time to do so safely. If these openings are not provided, drivers are prohibited from making U-turns.
Other locations where drivers can’t make U-turns include locations that have fire stations, one-way roads, or around railroad tracks.
Speeding Laws in West Virginia
West Virginia allows two types of speeding limits. The first limit is the basic speeding limit, which is the recommended speed for drivers. The second limit is the absolute speeding limit. This is the limit drivers can speed up to before violating any speeding laws.
Depending on the location that you’re in, the absolute speeding limit can change. For example, if you’re driving around a neighborhood, the absolute speeding limit could be 25 miles per hour.
It may be lower if you are traveling through a school zone.
For highways, the absolute speeding limit is often 55 miles per hour. If caught driving past this limit, you may be fined or have points added to your driving record.
How to Merge Properly
A majority of car accidents often happen because of merging issues. In West Virginia, merging laws vary. If two drivers approach an intersection from a different highway, the driver on the left must yield the right of way to the driver on the right.
When turning at an intersection, the driver who intends to turn to the left must yield the right of way to any car approaching from an opposite direction. If not, it can result in a serious collision.
Failing to follow these rules can result in charge of reckless driving. You may also be held liable for the car accident, which can increase your insurance rates.
Trust Your Car Accident Case to Salango Law
You do not want to be held liable for a West Virginia car accident. When you’ve been involved in a car accident, you want the Charleston car accident attorneys at Salango Law, PLLC, on your side. Call our office, or complete our contact form to schedule a consultation today.