Right of way, turns and intersections in New Jersey
Most crashes happen at intersections, and New Jersey adds its own twist: traffic circles, where the right of way often depends on local signs and long-standing traffic patterns. Knowing who goes first, and being willing to give way even when you have the right of way, keeps you safe.
This page covers stop signs, multi-way stops, turns on red, roundabouts and traffic circles, and the turning rules examiners check.
By the end of this topic you can
- You can decide who goes first at a four-way stop and at an uncontrolled intersection.
- You can make a legal right turn on red.
- You can position your car correctly for right and left turns.
- You can approach a New Jersey traffic circle safely.
- You can treat a dark traffic signal correctly.
What you need to know and understand
- At a multi-way stop, yield to vehicles already stopped and to the vehicle on your right if you arrive together.
- At an uncontrolled intersection, the vehicle on the left yields to the vehicle on the right.
- Drivers coming out of a driveway or private road must yield to all traffic on the main road.
- Stop within five feet of the crosswalk or stop line at a stop sign.
- Right turn on red is allowed after a full stop unless a No Turn on Red sign is posted.
- Signal at least 100 feet before any turn.
- A traffic signal with no lights working is treated as a four-way stop.
- New Jersey has no single set rule for traffic circles; signs and the established flow decide.
Who goes first
Always be prepared to yield to emergency vehicles using sirens or lights, to trains, to buses and mail trucks pulling back into traffic, to people using mobility devices, and to vehicles already in the intersection.
At a stop sign, stop completely within five feet of the crosswalk or stop line, then go only after yielding to pedestrians and close traffic. At a multi-way stop, the first to stop goes first. If two drivers arrive together, yield to the one on your right. At a yield sign, slow down and stop if needed. When turning left, yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians.
Turning without surprises
- Decide early and move into the correct lane.
- Signal at least 100 feet before the turn.
- Check mirrors and blind spots for bicycles, mopeds and pedestrians.
- For a right turn, keep close to the right curb and do not swing wide.
- For a left turn from a two-way road, stay just right of the center line and enter the new road to the right of its center line.
- Cancel your signal when the turn is complete.
Right on red and dark signals
After a full stop, you may turn right on red unless a sign forbids it. Yield to all traffic and pedestrians first, and remember that bicycles may have a green light. If a signal is completely dark because of a power cut, treat it as a four-way stop.
Traffic circles and roundabouts
Older New Jersey traffic circles do not follow one statewide rule. Usually the busier highway running through the circle has priority, and stop or yield signs at the entrances tell you who must wait. When in doubt, use the basic rule: the vehicle on the left yields to the vehicle on the right. Modern roundabouts are one-way circles where you enter and leave with right turns, which removes risky left turns. Our New Jersey learning-to-drive guide has more on local junctions.
Common mistakes
- Rolling through a stop sign during a right turn on red. A full stop is required first.
- Swinging wide on right turns, which lets cyclists or cars slip inside you.
- Entering a traffic circle without reading the signs at its entrance.
- Driving through a parking lot to avoid a light. New Jersey law treats this as a violation.
Test yourself: Right of way, turns and intersections in New Jersey
Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.
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Sources: New Jersey Driver Manual 2026 (New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission), Chapter 4: Yielding the Right-of-Way, Intersections, Turning Regulations; New Jersey Driver Manual 2026 (New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission), Chapter 11: Traffic Signals and Roundabouts; N.J.S.A. 39:4-115 and 39:4-126 (as cited in the Driver Manual). Independent guide, not affiliated with any licensing agency. Always check the latest official rules with the New Jersey licensing agency.