If you’ve recently been issued a failure to yield ticket in Illinois, you may be unsure what it means or how serious it is.
A failure to yield ticket is issued when a driver fails to yield when told to do so via signs or road markings. This could result in fines, points on your license, and increased insurance rates. To fight the ticket and get more tailored guidance, talk to an experienced failure to yield lawyer.
Under Illinois law (625 ILCS 5/11-904), drivers must yield “the right-of-way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another roadway.” Drivers will need to slow down and give way to other vehicles, people, or stop signs.
Failing to yield can disrupt traffic and increase the risk of accidents. It could also result in a failure to yield ticket, a petty offense.
In Illinois, there are many reasons a driver could receive a failure to yield ticket. Some of the most common reasons we see are:
This law requires drivers to stop at the stop line before entering an intersection. If there is no stop line, the driver can enter the intersection only after determining it is safe to do so.
Additionally, when approaching a yield sign, drivers must slow down to a reasonable speed before entering the intersection. The driver shall view approaching traffic, stop if required, and enter the intersection only after determining it is safe to do so.
Most drivers know that pedestrians have the right of way. The law specifically requires any driver to yield the right of way to a pedestrian whenever there are stop signs or flashing red signals at an intersection.
The driver shall yield the right of way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway at a crosswalk when the pedestrian is already halfway through the roadway on either side.
If you’re caught failing to yield, you could get fined and receive points on your license. The fine you receive depends on several factors, like the type of failing to yield, if it caused an accident and if it was your first offense.
Common penalties for a failing to yield ticket include:
The above are typical penalties for most failing to yield tickets, but failing to yield for an emergency vehicle will typically result in bigger penalties due to the severity of the incident.
Under Scott’s Law (see 625 ILCS 5/11-907), drivers must move over and yield when they see an emergency vehicle. Failing to yield could see you face the following penalties:
If you’ve received a failure to yield ticket, you need a traffic attorney on your side to help fight it. Just because you got given a ticket doesn’t mean you’ll need to pay the fine or accept the points. Doing so will admit your guilt and leave a mark on your driving record.
You’ll need an experienced failure to yield lawyer on your side to support you. Our team could help:
Under certain circumstances, you could get the ticket thrown out of court. Common reasons include:
A failure to yield ticket is issued when a driver does not give the right of way when required, such as at intersections, crosswalks, when merging, or when approaching emergency vehicles.
Yes, but having a lawyer can improve your chances of reducing penalties or getting the ticket dismissed, especially if there are weaknesses in the case.
Failure to yield at an intersection usually involves other vehicles, while failure to yield at a crosswalk involves failing to give pedestrians the right of way.
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