Turning & Joining Traffic

Check traffic behind you twice: once before moving into the turning lane, and again right before you actually turn.

Keep to the right side of your lane as you approach the turn (the "right driving line"), moving up toward the middle of the road.

Two vehicles facing each other, both turning left: the normal rule is to turn in front of each other (left-to-left). Turn behind one another instead only if the road layout, lane markings, or the other driver's clear intent requires it.

Pedestrians and cyclists crossing your path always have priority when you're turning — regardless of your general right of way at that junction.

When turning right specifically, watch for a cyclist riding alongside or slightly behind you — an easy one to miss.

• Exiting over a sunken/dropped kerb driveway: you always wait — "right before left" does not apply here.
• Leaving a traffic-calmed zone or a property onto a road: you wait for approaching cyclists and pedestrians, regardless of which direction they're coming from.
• You must indicate before moving off, and check both your mirror and do a shoulder check.
• Exiting a property over a footpath: pedestrians on the footpath must never be endangered — wait for them to pass.
• Merging from a parking space into moving traffic: you must not endanger moving traffic, must indicate, and must check the traffic behind you.

Keep to your own lane all the way through a multi-lane turn — don't drift or change lanes mid-turn, since another vehicle could be hidden in your blind spot.

Enter and exit the turn at a moderate speed; going too fast risks drifting out of your lane into a parallel one.