Turtlephungi said:
However a merging lane was provided so that stopping is not neccessary and to aid in the flow of traffic.
And of course, that has absolutely NOTHING to do to negate YOUR obligation to maintain proper distance between you and the car in front of you... yield sign, stop sign or no sign at all.
When I turned my head to the left to look for traffic there was sufficient distance between me and the other vehicle.
If that was the case, there would not have been an accident UNLESS the car in front of you backed up. The bottom line is..... you moved forward while looking the other way (for oncoming traffic) without looking to make sure the road in FRONT of you was clear.
I was following the law by approaching the intersection slowly, allowing for plenty of distance, and looking to the left to check for traffic to yield to.
Oh??? And what about the car in front of you???
[/quote]That is what the law says.[/quote]
What is what the law says?? Please explain and provide ANY statute that says you don't have to watch the traffic in front of you when moving forward.
Here is the applicable South Carolina statute:
"SECTION 56-5-2330. Stop signs and yield signs.
(c)
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, if required for safety to stop, shall stop at a clearly marked stop line but, if none, before entering the cross-walk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then at the point nearest the intersecting roadway where the driver has a view of approaching traffic on the intersecting road before entering it. After slowing or stopping,
the driver shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another roadway so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time the driver is moving across or within the intersection or junction of roadways.
If such driver is involved in a collision with a vehicle in the intersection or junction of roadways, after driving past a yield sign without stopping, the collision shall be deemed prima facie evidence of his failure to yield right-of-way."