How to Make a Right Turn in Ontario

A right turn feels like the easy one, until a cyclist appears on your right or a pedestrian steps off the curb just as you go. It is a simple manoeuvre with two hazards that catch new drivers out. Do it in the right order and it becomes automatic. Here is how to make a right turn in Ontario.

Get into the curb lane early

Signal, and move into the right-hand lane, the one next to the curb, well before you reach the corner. Getting into position early means you are not crossing a lane at the last second and you are where drivers expect a turning car to be. Slow down as you approach so you can take the corner under control rather than braking hard in the turn.

Yield to people crossing

The road you are turning into almost always has a crosswalk, and pedestrians there have the right of way. Look for anyone stepping off the curb or already crossing, and wait for them to clear before you complete the turn. It is the same yielding habit that makes the left turn safe, just on the other side of the car.

Check for cyclists on your right

This is the one that surprises people. A cyclist can be travelling straight through in a bike lane or along the curb on your right, exactly where you want to turn. Turning across them is called a right hook, and it is a common collision. Before you turn, check your right mirror and glance over your right shoulder, and let any cyclist going straight pass first. A painted bike lane on your right is a clear warning to check. Cyclists ride on roads without one too, so make the shoulder check a habit on every right turn, not just when you happen to notice a bike.

Turning right on a red light

In Ontario you may turn right on a red light after you come to a full stop, as long as the way is clear and no sign forbids it. Stop first, behind the line, then yield to pedestrians and to traffic already moving through the intersection. If a sign says no turn on red, wait for the green.

Keep it tight to the curb

Complete the turn in the first lane of the road you are entering, staying close to the curb rather than swinging wide into a far lane. A wide right turn crosses into space other drivers are using and is a common test fault. Straighten out, bring your speed up to match traffic, and you are done.

Why the right turn is on the test

The G1 knowledge test covers right turns because the pedestrian and cyclist checks are easy to forget. Remember to set up in the curb lane, yield to people crossing, check for cyclists on your right, stop fully before any turn on red, and keep the turn tight, and you have it.

Keep reading: Ontario traffic light rules and sharing the road with cyclists.

Based on the Official MTO Driver’s Handbook and Ontario’s rules for turning at intersections. Last reviewed July 2026.