What does the term right of way mean?

Answer 1

Right-of-way refers to who can proceed and who must stop or change course when two or more travelers cross paths. Conventions have been established to prevent collisions.

For instance, a speedboat and a sailboat are on a collision course. The speedboat, due to its greater maneuverability must yield the right of way to the sailboat and alter its course or speed to avoid the collision.

If two cars arrive at a stopsign controlled intersection from different directions at the same time, convention says the car to the right has the right-of-way.

Pedestrians in a crosswalk have the right-of-way over vehicles.

All automobile and pedestrian traffic must yield the right-of-way and get out of the way of emergency vehicles.

Drivers at a red light must yield to drivers who have the green light, unless one is an emergency vehicle.

A vessel underway is expected to yield to any other vessel underway visible from straight ahead to 90 degrees starboard (right).

If there is a collision, one of the first questions to be answered is 'Who had the right-of-way'? This will go a long way towards determining who is At Fault and who is responsible for any damages.

Answer 2

A right of way (sometimes hyphenated as 'right-of-way') is a right, usually contained in a deed, allowing a person to pass over part of another person's real property, in order to get from point A to point B. The most common example of a right of way is a 'mutual driveway' where two abutting property owners each own approximately half of the driveway between their houses and each have a right of passage over the next door neighbour's half of the driveway, usually in order to get from the street (point A) to a garage or parking spot in the rear of their own property (point B). The boundaries of such rights of way are usually very specifically described in each others' deeds as being a certain number of feet and inches wide and a certain number of feet and inches long. Such a right of way is not usually a right given to the public at large, but rather only to specified persons. A right of way is part of the larger field of law called 'easements,' but not all easements are rights of way. Although a right of way is usually created by and described in a deed, one can also arise through the use of another person's property, over a period of time and in a certain manner, without the property owner's consent. The length of time and the type of use can be quite technical in nature and can vary considerably from one jurisdiction to another. This type of right of way is often referred to as a 'prescriptive easement.'

Answer 3

It means you must stop or slow down to another person or vehicle that has the right to go before you.

You must do this for all yield signs. There are also other times you must yield to someone when there is no sign.

See Texas Transportation Code Chapter 545 Subchapter D for more specifics on right-of-way laws.

Answer 4

Right of Way can have a variety of meanings. In the traffic rules, it means the individual that has the right to proceed. In property it is the right to travel over a certain part of a land parcel.

Answer 5

In real estate, right-of-way means the area of land that is considered to be available for public access but is actually owned by the property owner. Right-of-way could be the sidewalk area in front of a building or a strip of land in front of property along a roadway.

Answer 6

It means that you have to yield, or stop, for the driver that has the right of way.

Answer 7

It means that if there is a moving vehicle approaching you on the other roadway, that YOU must yield to that vehicle.