PEI Roundabout Rules, Right of Way and Speed Limits

Photo: Doug Kerr, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At a Prince Edward Island roundabout, you yield to traffic already inside and to pedestrians, travel counterclockwise, and signal right before you exit. In a dual-lane roundabout, you pick your lane before entering and stay in it. This guide covers those rules plus PEI right of way, speed limits, following distance, school buses and the heavy vehicle No-Zones, all from the PEI Driver’s Handbook. These rules come up on the knowledge test and the road test.

PEI roundabout rules

Rules for every roundabout

Yield to traffic already in the roundabout and to pedestrians.
Travel counterclockwise.

Single-lane roundabouts: signals

Where you are going	Signal on entry	Signal on exit
Left turn or U-turn	Left	Right, before exiting
Straight ahead	None	Right, before exiting
Right turn	Right, kept on until you have exited	Right (same signal)

Dual-lane roundabouts: lanes and signals

Where you are going	Lane	Signals
Left turn or U-turn	Left-hand lane	Left on entry, right before exit
Straight ahead	Left or right lane	None on entry, right before exit
Right turn	Right-hand lane	Right, kept on until you have exited

Also in dual-lane roundabouts:

Do not enter alongside a vehicle already in the roundabout.
Stay in your lane until you exit. Do not change lanes inside.

Pedestrians and cyclists at roundabouts

Crosswalks at modern roundabouts have two sections, and some have two lanes at each section. Pedestrians cross to the splitter island, stop, check that traffic is yielding, then cross the second section. Cyclists can ride through in the centre of the lane like a vehicle, or get off and cross as pedestrians.

Right of way in PEI

Situation	Who goes first
Three-way or four-way stop, vehicles arrive at about the same time	The vehicle on the left yields to the vehicle on the right. Entering first does not automatically give you the right of way.
Turning left	You yield to any vehicle or pedestrian in or close to the intersection. Be in the proper lane and signal.
Leaving a driveway, lane or private road	Stop and yield to traffic on the road. In a city or town, also stop before the sidewalk crossing and yield to pedestrians.
Yield sign	Slow down, and stop if needed, for pedestrians and vehicles
Emergency vehicle with siren or lights	Clear the intersection, pull to the right edge (left or right on a one-way street), and stop until it passes. At night, switch from headlights to parking lights while you are stopped, and turn the headlights back on before you move off.
Funeral procession	Approaching vehicles slow to half the posted limit and must not pass through the procession from behind. PEI funeral vehicles use purple flashing lights.
Pedestrian in a crosswalk, walk signal or green	The pedestrian. A pedestrian who started crossing before the orange hand appeared keeps the right of way until they reach the other side.
Pedestrian at a stop sign, yield sign or open intersection	The pedestrian, in marked or unmarked crosswalks

How to stop at a PEI stop sign

In a city or town: stop before the crosswalk, at the stop line, or where pedestrians would normally cross.
In rural areas: stop before the edge of the road you are entering. Look twice in both directions, starting with the left, and leave a bigger gap if the road is slippery.
Rolling through a stop sign is illegal.

Vehicles stopped for pedestrians

Never pass a vehicle that has stopped for a pedestrian. If you are approaching from behind, you must not pass. Take extra care beside a larger stopped vehicle, which can hide a pedestrian.

Even where a pedestrian should yield, such as when crossing outside a crosswalk, the Highway Traffic Act still requires you to take due care to avoid hitting them, sound the horn when needed, and take extra precautions around children and anyone who seems confused or incapacitated.

Signals, turns and U-turns

Right on red: allowed unless a sign forbids it. Come to a complete stop, yield to vehicles and pedestrians, then go if it is clear.
Signal early: when you are about to turn or stop, start signalling at least 30 metres before, and keep signalling until you enter the turn or just before you stop (unless it is a sudden emergency stop). Signal before pulling away from or into the curb, too. On highways, the handbook says to signal at least 150 metres before you turn or stop.
Flashing red: full stop, then yield to traffic in the intersection and pedestrians in an adjacent crosswalk, then go with caution.
Flashing amber: enter with caution and yield to all traffic in the intersection and to pedestrians in an adjacent crosswalk.
U-turns are allowed between intersections in a municipality if a bylaw permits, and on a highway if traffic from both directions can see you within 150 metres.
U-turns are not allowed at a traffic-light intersection in a municipality, where a sign prohibits them, or on a curve, near the crest of a hill or anywhere they interfere with traffic.

Changing lanes, left turns and passing

Changing lanes: check you are not following too closely, then check your rear-view and side mirrors, signal, and look over your shoulder. Every vehicle has a blind spot at its rear corners that the mirrors miss.
Waiting to turn left: keep your wheels straight until you can go. If you are hit from behind with the wheels turned, you can be pushed into oncoming traffic. Oncoming vehicles have the right of way even if you reached the turning point first.
You must not pass at an intersection if you would have to cross the solid centre line, at a crosswalk or anywhere a car has stopped to yield, in a school zone, in a posted no-passing zone, or on the left when there is not enough clear road ahead.
Passing on the right is allowed only on a street with two or more lanes going your way.
When passing, the handbook says the law requires you to signal and sound your horn. Never pull out behind another car that is already passing, and do not pass in heavy traffic.
Being passed: move to the right and never speed up.

Driving in a village, town or city

Do not block an intersection. If your lane is blocked beyond it, stop before entering and wait.
Do not weave in traffic, and keep to the right lane if you are slower than the flow.
Slow down in residential areas and watch for children and cyclists.
Keep your speed down in lanes and alleys, and stop before you enter a street from one.

PEI speed limits

Unless a sign says otherwise, the maximum in Prince Edward Island is 80 km/h. The handbook lists these basic limits:

Where	Limit
Urban areas	50 km/h
Construction zones	60 km/h
Unpaved roads	80 km/h
Other locations at night	90 km/h
Other locations in daytime	100 km/h
Signed school zones, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, September to June	60 km/h unless a lower limit is posted; speeding fines are doubled

Posted limits are the maximum for ideal conditions. Slow down for darkness, rain, fog, snow, slippery roads, heavy traffic or pedestrians. Driving so slowly that you block traffic is also an offence.

Following distance: the three-second rule

Pick a fixed marker, such as a sign or pole.
When the rear of the vehicle ahead passes it, count “one thousand and one, one thousand and two, one thousand and three”.
If you reach the marker before you finish, you are too close.

Pulling a trailer: four seconds.
Following a motorcycle: add one or two seconds.
Bad weather, road or traffic conditions: four seconds or more.

On the highway: merging, shoulders, slow driving and oncoming traffic

Merging from an acceleration lane

Signal as you enter the acceleration lane, build up to the speed of highway traffic, keep checking the gap and the vehicles behind you, then move in and cancel the signal. Plan the merge early and avoid stopping in the lane without need. If no safe gap opens, adjust your speed, or stop if you must, rather than forcing your way in; pressure from traffic behind never makes an unsafe merge acceptable. If you are already on the highway, leave a gap for merging drivers or move left when it is safe. Leaving the highway, signal before you enter the deceleration lane and slow down only once you are in it.

If your wheels drop onto a soft shoulder

Hold the wheel firmly with both hands and stay straddling the edge.
Ease off the accelerator. Do not brake.
Steer back onto the pavement only once you have slowed enough to be in full control. Coming back too fast can swing you into oncoming traffic.
Straighten up in your own lane. You may need to keep going on the shoulder until it is level with the road.

Driving too slowly

You must not drive so slowly that you block the normal flow of traffic, unless the lower speed is needed for safe operation or to obey the law. Do not speed up just because someone behind is impatient. If a mechanical problem or anything else forces you to go slowly, move to the right lane to let traffic pass, or pull off the road and stop to let the queue by.

Meeting oncoming traffic

Keep to your half of the road and drive in the centre of your lane, except when passing or turning.
On a narrow road, both drivers must slow down or stop and help each other pass safely.
Where parked cars narrow your half of the street, watch for oncoming vehicles and tuck into a gap.
Dim your high beams within 150 metres (500 feet) of an oncoming vehicle.

Passing cyclists

Leave at least one metre between your car and the bicycle, or as close to that as the conditions allow, and keep that gap until you are safely past.
The metre is measured between the nearest points, including your mirrors and anything attached to the car or the bike.
You may cross a solid centre line, or pass where a no-passing sign is posted, to overtake a cyclist, but only if the move can be made safely. If oncoming traffic or a hill or bend blocks your view, slow down and wait behind the cyclist.

Tractors and farm machinery

On rural roads, especially at planting and harvest time, expect slow, wide farm equipment and mud or soil carried onto the pavement. Slow down early, hang back far enough to see past the machine, and pass only where you can see the whole passing distance and get back in lane without cutting in. Do not pull out because traffic is building up behind you or because the farm driver waves you on.

Off-highway vehicles and snowmobiles

ATVs, snowmobiles and other off-highway vehicles are not allowed in the ditch beside a highway. They may cross a highway only if the operator has held a driver’s licence for 24 months or has passed an approved off-highway vehicle safety course. Expect them near rural crossings, especially in winter, and slow down if you see one waiting to cross.

School buses in PEI

Flashing amber: the bus is about to stop. Slow down and proceed with caution.
Flashing red: stop at least 6 metres (20 feet) from the front or rear of the bus, and stay stopped until the red lights stop flashing. Passing is illegal (Highway Traffic Act s. 202).

Failing to stop for a school bus with flashing red lights carries 12 demerit points. For other provinces, see school bus stopping rules across Canada.

Heavy vehicle No-Zones

No-Zones are the areas around trucks and buses where crashes are more likely, including blind spots where your car disappears from the driver’s view.

No-Zone	What to do
Sides	Do not linger beside a truck or bus. If you cannot see the driver’s face in their side mirror, they cannot see you.
Rear	Do not tailgate. The driver cannot see you, and you cannot see the road ahead.
Front	After passing, wait until you can see the whole front of the truck in your rear-view mirror before moving in, then do not slow down. Trucks need nearly twice the time and room to stop.
Backing up	Never cross behind a truck that is reversing.
Wide right turns	Trucks may swing left to turn right. Do not squeeze between the truck and the curb.

Stopped emergency vehicles and tow trucks

When you approach or pass an emergency vehicle or tow truck stopped on the highway with its emergency lights on, you must not go faster than half the posted speed limit. On an 80 km/h road, that means 40 km/h at most.
If there are two or more lanes in your direction and you are in the stopped vehicle’s lane or the lane next to it, also move into another lane, but only if it is safe. If you cannot change lanes, still slow down.
You may stop instead of passing if you can stop safely and stopping is otherwise allowed.

For other provinces, see slow down, move over laws in Canada.

Lights, fog lamps and studded tires

When lights are required: from sunset to sunrise, and at any time you cannot clearly see people and vehicles 150 metres ahead.
Low beams: switch to low beam within 150 metres of an oncoming vehicle, and within 60 metres when following another vehicle (except while you are overtaking it). Check that an automatic high-beam system has actually dipped.
Daytime running lights: a vehicle made after November 30, 1989 must have working daytime running lights switched on in daylight, showing only white or amber light. An older vehicle made before December 1, 1989 must instead have its headlights (or its daytime running lights, if fitted, in white or amber only) on whenever it is driven. This section does not cover farm tractors, special mobile equipment or vehicles registered outside PEI.
Parking lights: when lights are required, it is illegal to drive on parking lights alone. In fog, rain or snow, use low beams, because high beams reflect back at you.
Window tint: aftermarket darkening is illegal on the windshield and front side windows. It is allowed on the rear side and rear windows if you have two side mirrors. Ornaments must not block your view, and no more than two adult passengers plus the driver may sit in the front seat.
Fog lamps: no more than two at the front, and use them only when fog, mist or snow makes them necessary. Switch them off when the air clears.
Studded tires: allowed only from October 1 to May 31. Studs must not stick out more than 3.2 mm beyond the tread, no more than 5% of the tire surface may be studs or other non-rubber material, and studs must not be put into used or worn tires.

Stopping and parking rules in PEI

Unless signs or a town’s traffic authority allow it, or you must stop to avoid a collision or obey police or a signal, you must not stop, stand or park:

Place	Keep clear by
Fire hydrant	2.5 metres from the curb point opposite it
Crosswalk	Not in it, and not within 6 metres on the approach side
Flashing beacon, stop sign or traffic signal at the roadside	12 metres on the approach
Railway crossing	15 metres from the nearest rail
Entrance or exit of a hotel, church, school, theatre, dancehall, public meeting place or playground	6 metres on either side
Fire station driveway	6 metres; 45 metres on the opposite side of the street where signed

You also cannot stop on a sidewalk, in front of a driveway or loading zone, or inside an intersection.

Other places you cannot stop or park

Double parking: never stop on the road side of a vehicle that is already stopped or parked at the curb, even for a quick drop-off.
Bridges and tunnels: no stopping on a bridge or other elevated structure, or inside a highway tunnel.
Roadworks: no stopping beside or opposite a street excavation or obstruction if it would hold up traffic.
Safety zones: where a raised or marked pedestrian safety zone sits in the road, do not stop between it and the curb, or within 9 metres of the curb points opposite its ends, unless signs or markings give a different length.
Signs and markings: obey any sign or marking that bans or limits stopping, standing or parking.

Curb parking: unless a traffic authority allows otherwise, park on the right side, parallel to it, with your wheels within 300 mm of the curb where there is one.
Outside towns: if you can pull off the roadway, you must, and you must not block traffic. Those two rules do not apply if a breakdown makes a temporary stop on the roadway unavoidable. Separately, a vehicle parked on a highway must be visible to traffic from both directions for 125 metres, so do not stop just past a hill crest or bend; the only exception is when repairs on the highway are necessary. Neither exception lets you leave a vehicle anywhere it is likely to endanger other road users.
Accessible parking spaces: marked by an approved sign or a blue-painted area. You may not even stop briefly in one unless the vehicle displays a valid accessible parking permit or plate.
Backing up: reverse only when it can be done safely and without getting in the way of traffic. If someone walks behind you, stop and look again; a reversing camera does not show everything.

Parallel parking, angle parking and backing

Parallel parking: stop even with the car ahead, about 0.45 metres from it. Back slowly with the wheel turned sharply right until you are at about 45 degrees to the curb, then straighten. Back slowly until you can see the left headlight of the car behind, then turn sharply left and keep backing. Turn sharply right and pull forward to the centre of the space.
Angle parking: drive forward into the space, with equal room on each side.
Pulling out: check for traffic, signal, and go only when it is safe and you will not get in anyone’s way.
Backing: check all around the vehicle before you get in, look out the rear window, sound the horn just before you start, back slowly and check both sides. From a driveway, check for pedestrians and traffic before crossing the sidewalk.

Leaving the car, opening doors and charging spaces

Before you walk away from a car parked on a highway, stop the engine, set the brake firmly and take the key out, leaving the ignition locked if it has a locked position. On a slope, turn the front wheels toward the curb if there is one. Before opening a door, make sure it will not endanger or get in the way of anyone, and do not leave a traffic-side door open longer than it takes passengers to get in or out. Nobody should get on or off a vehicle while it is moving.

A designated electric vehicle charging space, whether publicly or privately owned, is not general parking. You may leave a vehicle there unattended only if it is a battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle plugged into the charger, or if you own or lease that charging station. Owning an EV is not enough on its own; it has to be connected.

Seatbelts and child seats

The driver must wear a seatbelt except when reversing. Every passenger 16 or older is responsible for wearing their own belt.
Wear the lap belt firmly across your hips and the shoulder belt across your shoulder and chest, fastened, with one person per belt.
The driver must make sure every passenger under 16 is in the right child seat or wearing a belt.

Child	Required seat
Under 10 kg, or under 1 year old	Rear-facing infant seat
10 kg to under 18 kg	Child seat that meets the Canadian standard
18 kg or more, 9 years old or younger and under 145 cm tall	Booster seat (a child over the booster’s weight limit uses the seatbelt)

Every seat must be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. A child under one year old stays rear-facing even after passing 10 kg. More detail is in child car seat and booster rules in Canada.

Common questions

Who has the right of way at a four-way stop in PEI?

If vehicles arrive at about the same time, the vehicle on the left yields to the one on the right.

Do you signal when entering a PEI roundabout?

Signal left on entry if you are turning left or making a U-turn. Signal right on entry, and keep it on, if you are turning right. Going straight, give no signal on entry. Always signal right before you exit.

Can you change lanes in a dual-lane roundabout in PEI?

No. Choose the correct lane before entering and stay in it until you exit.

What is the speed limit in PEI if there is no sign?

80 km/h, unless you are in an area with its own basic limit, such as 50 km/h in urban areas.

Is right on red legal in PEI?

Yes, after a complete stop and yielding to traffic and pedestrians, unless a sign prohibits it.

How far back do you stop for a school bus in PEI?

At least 6 metres (20 feet) from the front or rear while the red lights are flashing.

Back to the full guide: learning to drive in PEI. Next: PEI knowledge test and PEI road test.

Sources

Government of Prince Edward Island, Highway Safety, “Prince Edward Island Driver’s Handbook” (princeedwardisland.ca)
Government of Prince Edward Island, Highway Safety Division, “Graduated Driver’s Licensing Program (GDL)” booklet, December 2022 and August 2023 editions (princeedwardisland.ca)
Government of Prince Edward Island, “Highway Traffic Act”, consolidated to May 29, 2026, including sections 92, 96, 98, 109, 109.1, 115.1, 155.1, 159, 167, 176 to 178, 184, 188, 192, 204 to 212 and 228 (princeedwardisland.ca)
Government of Prince Edward Island, “Highway Traffic Act Seat Belt Regulations” (princeedwardisland.ca)
Government of Prince Edward Island, “Highway Traffic Act Winter Tires Regulations” (princeedwardisland.ca)

PEI Rules of the Road: Roundabouts, Right of Way, No-Zones