One of the first things students learn in driver education is the idea of the right of way.
Examples of the right of way include “first come, first serve” at a four-way stop, or how the car on the left goes last when crossing paths with someone coming the other way.
Another right of way that some might forget is when someone stops, with reason, in their lane, to avoid a pedestrian or animal or to back into a parallel parking spot.
After teaching students these rules for over 18 years, I’m still humored when even adults have forgotten, or they never learned these rules.
I was backing into a parallel parking spot this week at rhe “United We March” event at Gunnison Park. As I stopped in the road with intent to back into a parallel parking space, a white SUV pulled up behind and honked the horn. I wanted to jump out and have a quick driver-ed lesson with the occupants, but instead, I decided to finish parking and write a short article for the paper in hopes it will serve to remind others.
If someone stops in a lane of traffic, with reason, whoever overtakes this person must yield to them by waiting for the car to move or make a legal lane change around the vehicle. Remembering rules like these will help us all interact appropriately in traffic.
Jesse Burrell
Driver Education Instructor, Gunnison Valley High School
