§ 20-156. Exceptions to the right-of-way rule. - North Carolina Statutes

§ 20‑156.  Exceptions tothe right‑of‑way rule.

(a)        The driver of avehicle about to enter or cross a highway from an alley, building entrance,private road, or driveway shall yield the right‑of‑way to allvehicles approaching on the highway to be entered.

(b)        The driver of avehicle upon the highway shall yield the right‑of‑way to police andfire department vehicles and public and private ambulances, vehicles used by anorgan procurement organization or agency for the recovery or transportation ofhuman tissues and organs for transplantation or a vehicle operated by atransplant coordinator who is an employee of an organ procurement organizationor agency when the transplant coordinator is responding to a call to recover ortransport human tissues or organs for transplantation, and to rescue squademergency service vehicles and vehicles operated by county fire marshals andcivil preparedness coordinators when the operators of said vehicles are givinga warning signal by appropriate light and by bell, siren or exhaust whistleaudible under normal conditions from a distance not less than 1,000 feet. Whenappropriate warning signals are being given, as provided in this subsection, anemergency vehicle may proceed through an intersection or other place when the emergencyvehicle is facing a stop sign, a yield sign, or a traffic light which isemitting a flashing strobe signal or a beam of steady or flashing red light.This provision shall not operate to relieve the driver of a police or firedepartment vehicle or public or private ambulance or vehicles used by an organprocurement organization or agency for the recovery or transportation of humantissues and organs for transplantation or a vehicle operated by a transplantcoordinator who is an employee of an organ procurement organization or agencywhen the transplant coordinator is responding to a call to recover or transporthuman tissues or organs for transplantation, or rescue squad emergency servicevehicle or county fire marshals or civil preparedness coordinators from theduty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway,nor shall it protect the driver of any such vehicle or county fire marshal orcivil preparedness coordinator from the consequence of any arbitrary exerciseof such right‑of‑way. (1937, c. 407, s. 118; 1971,cc. 78, 106; 1973, c. 1330, s. 21; 1977, c. 52, s. 4; c. 438, s. 3; 1985, c.427; 1989, c. 537, s. 3.)