Traffic Violations: Fail to Yield to a Blind or Incapacitated Person Fines, Traffic Points and Defense

Blind and incapacitated persons have the right away at crosswalks, and drivers must yield to them. Blind individuals use the sound of a car’s engine and other noises to determine when it is safe for them to walk or not. If an individual fails to yield to a blind or incapacitated person, allowing them to go first if they have begun to cross, the individual can be given very serious consequences.

Fines and Penalties

Failing to yield to a blind or incapacitated person brings heftier fines and penalties than typical failing to yield to pedestrians. In fact, on just a first offense, an individual could expect to pay up to $1000 and even face 12 months in jail. For the second or third offenses, the penalties and fines would be severe. If an individual was charged wrongly with this traffic violation, it is understandable that they would want to prove their innocence.

Traffic Points and Impact on Driving Record

For an individual who has been found guilty of failing to yield to a blind or incapacitated person, it is not uncommon to receive 4 or more demerit points. These points go against the driver and on his or her permanent record. For particularly severe cases of this type of offense, the individual may receive more points, and could possibly even have their license suspended. Even if no injuries occurred, accumulating points quickly could result in a suspended license. The impact on the driving record can also be serious. Individuals may be expected to pay much higher insurance premiums because of these demerit points.

Hiring an Attorney

Individuals who have been charged with this crime must appear in court, and should consider hiring an attorney to represent them. Whether there was a miscommunication between the driver and the pedestrian or the police officer made a mistake, an attorney can help one plead their case in a court of law. Individuals are much more likely to receive smaller penalties and have the charges dropped if they hire a competent attorney to work for them. Many attorneys are able to get the demerit points removed from their clients’ record, and can get fines reduced.

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