Chapter 6: Navigating the Roads

Knowing the rules of navigation, such as who has the right-to-go-first, is the key to safe and predictable driving. These laws prevent chaos at intersections and in traffic by creating a clear, consistent set of expectations for all drivers. Mastering right-of-way, turning, and passing procedures is essential for the road test and for avoiding the most common types of crashes.

This section explains the critical rules for yielding the right-of-way, executing turns and U-turns, navigating roundabouts, and passing other vehicles safely and legally in Minnesota.

Right-of-Way

Right-of-way laws determine which driver has the legal right to proceed first in a given situation. The fundamental principle is that a driver should never assume they have the right-of-way; it must be given to them by others. Yielding means to slow or stop to allow another vehicle or pedestrian to proceed.

Intersections

• Uncontrolled Intersections: At an intersection with no signs or signals, the driver of the vehicle on the left must yield to the vehicle on the right if they arrive at approximately the same time.
• “T” Intersections: At an uncontrolled “T” intersection (where one road ends and another continues), drivers on the terminating road must stop and yield to all cross-traffic.
• All-Way Stops: At an intersection where all directions have a stop sign, the first vehicle to arrive and stop proceeds first. If two or more vehicles stop at the same time, the driver on the left must yield to the driver on their right.
• Left Turns: A driver intending to make a left turn must yield to all oncoming traffic that is close enough to be a hazard.