Oregon · Handbook chapter 5 · 4 min read

Chapter 5: Turns, intersections and roundabouts

Oregon turn signals and hand signals, right and left turns, one-way streets, dual turn lanes, U-turn rules, four-way stops, uncontrolled and T intersections, and how to drive through single and multi-lane roundabouts.

Why this chapter matters

Turning errors and intersection crashes are among the most common. Oregon has specific rules for turns on red, U-turns and roundabouts that are worth learning exactly.

Signaling

• Signal before you turn, change lanes, exit a roundabout or pull away from a curb.
• In traffic, signal at least 100 feet before the turn or lane change.
• Use hand-and-arm signals only in daylight when you can see 1,000 feet ahead, and never in a wide or long vehicle. At night or in poor visibility, use your signal lights.
• Do not rely on another driver's signal; they may turn the other way or not at all.

Making turns

The general rule: turn from the nearest lane in your direction into the nearest lane going the way you want. Do not swing wide or change lanes during the turn.

• Right turn: get as close as you can to the right curb. Look left, ahead, right and left again.
• Left turn on a two-way road: approach just right of the center line, yield to oncoming traffic, turn just before the center of the intersection and end just right of the center line of the new street. If there is a left turn lane, you must use it.
• You may turn across a bike lane, but never move into one to prepare for a turn. Yield to bicyclists in the bike lane or on the sidewalk.
• If you are in the wrong lane, go on to the next intersection. Driving around the block is safer than a last-second change.

One-way streets and turns on red

Where signs or markings allow dual turn lanes, stay in your lane through the turn.

U-turns

U-turns are not allowed:

• At intersections with traffic signals, unless a sign permits it.
• Between intersections in a city.
• In a city where your vehicle cannot be seen within 500 feet from either direction.
• Outside a city where it cannot be seen within 1,000 feet.
• At or on a railroad crossing, or wherever signs or markings prohibit them.

Intersections

• Stop before the stop line or crosswalk at a STOP sign, steady red or flashing red. If there is none, stop before the unmarked crossing area. Pull forward slightly to look if your view is blocked.
• Even on green, do not enter unless there is room for your car on the other side.
• All-way stop: by courtesy the first to stop goes first. When in doubt, yield to the driver on your right.
• Two-way stop, facing each other: the driver turning left yields to traffic going straight.
• No signs or signals: yield to vehicles in the intersection or approaching from your right.
• At a T intersection with no signs, the driver on the road that ends yields to traffic on the through road.

Roundabouts

Traffic in a roundabout moves counterclockwise around a center island.

1. Approach: slow down, find your exit, watch for bicyclists and stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk.
2. Enter: yield to traffic already in the roundabout and exiting it; wait for a gap and merge.
3. Proceed: keep going to your exit. Give bicyclists who merge in the full lane, and do not pass them.
4. Exit: use your right turn signal and watch for pedestrians.

In multi-lane roundabouts, pick your lane by your exit before entering and stay in it. It is illegal to pass or drive beside a truck inside a roundabout, since it may need both lanes.

If an emergency vehicle approaches, do not enter: pull over to the right. If you are already inside, do not stop; continue to your exit, then pull over.