Turning can be dangerous, because it often means you have to cross the path of other vehicles. Remember – turning traffic usually gives way to traffic that isn’t turning.

How to turn

To legally and safely make a left or right turn:

  • do a thorough check for other vehicles – in front, behind and to the sides
  • remember to check over your shoulder for your blind spots – the areas of road on the sides of your car that you can’t see in your mirrors
  • watch for pedestrians
  • signal for at least 3 seconds
  • turn when safe.

If you're turning left, use your left indicator. If you're turning right, use your right indicator.

Be prepared to stop, even if the other driver should give way to you.

Important!

Always check your blind spots when turning or changing lanes.

Turning from a driveway

If you're coming out of a driveway:

  • slow down to a complete stop at the end of the driveway
  • check the road and footpath for pedestrians, vehicles and other hazards
  • give way to:
    • anyone using the footpath
    • cyclists using a cycle path or cycle lane
    • vehicles on the road, including vehicles turning right into the driveway.

Making a left turn

If you're turning left into another street or driveway:

  • stay in the left-turn lane or keep to the left side of the road
  • slow down before you turn
  • check your mirrors and look over your left shoulder to check your blind spot
  • signal for at least 3 seconds
  • turn when safe.
A blue car indicating and turning left.

Making a left turn

Keeping left on an unlaned road

An unlaned road is a road with no marked white lines or raised studs. 

To stay well out of the way of oncoming vehicles, always keep as close as possible to the left side of the road.

Important!

When turning, keep to your position on the road.

For example, if you’re on the left-hand side of the road, you should stay on the left-hand side of the road after you’ve turned and if you’re in a lane next to the centre line, you should turn into the lane next to the centre line.

Making a right turn on a road with no marked lanes

In this situation:

  • slow down before you turn
  • check your mirrors and look over your right shoulder to check your blind spot
  • signal for at least 3 seconds
  • move towards the centre line and position your vehicle for the turn
  • check your mirrors again and look over your right shoulder to check your blind spot
  • turn when safe.
A blue car travelling on an unlaned road, indicating and turning right.

Right turn on an unmarked road

Making a right turn on a road with a centre line

In this situation:

  • slow down before you turn
  • check your mirrors and look over your right shoulder to check your blind spot
  • signal for at least 3 seconds
  • move towards the centre line and position your vehicle for the turn
  • check your mirrors again and look over your right shoulder to check your blind spot
  • turn when safe.
A blue car travelling on an laned road, indicating and turning right.

Right turn on a laned road

Making a right turn from the left-hand side of the road

If other vehicles are moving fast or following too closely, or if the road is narrow, it may be best to wait on the left-hand side of the road to make the turn, rather than stopping in the middle of the road and holding up traffic.

In this situation:

  • signal left for at least 3 seconds
  • check your mirrors and look over your right shoulder to check your blind spot
  • move across to the left-hand side of the road
  • wait there until it's safe to turn
  • signal right for at least 3 seconds before you turn
  • check your mirrors again and look over your right shoulder to check your blind spot
  • move when it's safe.
The blue car is pulled over to the left-hand side of the road to wait for the red car and green car to pass and the road to be clear before turning right

Right turn from left-hand side of road - laned

The blue car is pulled over to the left-hand side of the road to wait for the red car and green car to pass and the road to be  clear before turning right

Right turn form left-hand side of road - unlaned

If a vehicle in front of you has also stopped to turn right, it’s best to wait behind them and then use the same position to turn from. Take extra care on roads where the traffic is moving quickly.

Making a right turn from a right-turn bay

A right-turn bay is an area where vehicles that are turning right can wait until it’s safe to turn, without holding up vehicles going straight through.

 You can’t use the right-turn bay to overtake a vehicle travelling straight ahead. 

As you approach the right-turn bay, the road will be painted with a white triangle with diagonal lines inside it, followed by one or more right-turn arrows. 

You can only drive over the white diagonal lines if you’re turning right.

Blue car indicating turning right from a right turn bay with median strip.

Turning on a road with a flush median

Safe turning tip

If you've stopped to turn right, keep your wheels pointed straight ahead until you start to turn. That way, if you're hit from behind you're less likely to be pushed into the path of oncoming traffic.

Turning on or off a road with a flush median

A flush median is a strip in the centre of the road that's marked with white diagonal lines within parallel lines. It's a place for vehicles to wait safely before turning right off the road, or after turning right onto the road.

You can only drive onto the flush median to:

  • wait to move into a gap in the traffic flow after you've turned right - car A in the diagram
  • slow down and wait before turning right - car B in the diagram.
A 4 laned road with the centre of the road marked a flush median. Car A, the blue car, has turned from a side street onto the flush median to wait for a gap in the traffic. Car B, the red car is waiting on the flush median to turn into a side road.

Using a flush median

Important!

When using a flush median, watch out for pedestrians who might be waiting on the flush median to cross the road.

Making a U-turn

You’re normally allowed to make U-turns, as long as the road is clear in both directions and it’s safe to do so. Make sure you have enough room to complete the turn and don’t create a hazard for oncoming vehicles. 

You aren’t allowed to make U-turns on a motorway or if a No U-turn sign is displayed.

Making a turn over a no-passing line

You can cross over the solid yellow no-passing line, if it’s safe to do so, when making a turn to enter a driveway or side road. 

However, no-passing lines are often marked where visibility is limited, so extra care is needed. It may be safer to turn further along the road, where visibility is better. 

No-passing line