9.2 Right-of-Way Rules, Rotaries & Roundabouts

Right-of-way rules settle who goes first where signs and signals do not. They are based on safety and courtesy, and they give you no "rights": right-of-way is something you give, not take. If another driver ignores the rules, yield anyway.

Pedestrians First

• Always yield to pedestrians in the roadway.
• When your light turns green, yield to pedestrians already in the crosswalk.
• When turning, watch for pedestrians, who have the right-of-way on sidewalks and when crossing driveways and alleys.
• Always stop for a blind pedestrian using a white cane or guide dog, and stay stopped until the person has crossed. Do not honk or wave them on, and never pass another stopped vehicle (Section 10.1).
• On multi-lane roads, never pass a vehicle stopped at a crosswalk without checking for pedestrians.

Intersection Rules

Other right-of-way situations are covered elsewhere: emergency vehicles (Section 11.1), funeral processions (Section 10.5), school buses (Section 10.4) and animals (Section 10.5).

Rotaries

Rotaries are far more common in Massachusetts than in most of the country. A rotary is an intersection where roads from several directions meet around a central island, so traffic can continue without stopping at a stop sign or light. There are yield signs at the entrances, and big rotaries are designed for traffic at up to 40 mph.

Rotary Traffic Rules

• Traffic travels counter-clockwise.
• Yield to vehicles already in the rotary, unless signs or police direct otherwise, and to pedestrians.
• Use your turn signals as at any intersection, and use your right turn signal when you are ready to exit.
• Do not stop in the rotary.

Choosing a Lane

Single-lane rotary: enter from the right lane of your road and exit onto the right lane of the road you want.

Multi-lane rotary: follow any signs. If there are none:

In a multi-lane rotary there may be traffic on both sides of you, so do not leave your lane until it is safe.

Missed your exit? Stay calm. If it is safe, go around again and position yourself to exit properly.

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Roundabouts

Roundabouts work like rotaries but are much smaller, with a smaller central island. Most have yield lines and crosswalks, and their size forces speeds of 25 mph or less. Choose lanes by the signs on the approach, using the same rules as rotaries. Their slow speeds make them safer for bicyclists.

Courtesy Crashes

Drivers trying to be nice can cause "courtesy crashes". Waving someone through stopped traffic, or turning because someone waved you in, can lead you straight into a vehicle you cannot see in the next lane. Base your turn on traffic and visibility, not on a wave: oncoming traffic keeps the right-of-way whether or not someone is waving at you.

Scenarios

1. You and another car reach an unsigned intersection together, and it is on your right: it goes first.
2. Four-way stop: you stop first, then a car on your left stops: you go first.
3. Rotary, you need the third exit (a three-quarter turn), no signs: enter from the left lane, circulate in the inner lane, then move right and exit onto the right lane.