A Guide to Colorado Right-of-Way Laws

Right-of-way laws are in place to ensure that in the absence of road signs or signals, the rules governing who travels first still apply. These rules are based on the principles of courtesy and common sense and protect both motorists and pedestrians from injury and property damage.

Summary of Colorado right-of-way laws

Right-of-way laws in Colorado can be summarized as follows:

• Under all circumstances and conditions, you must give way to pedestrians. They have undeniable right of way at every crosswalk or intersection and you must stop and let them pass.

• Be especially attentive to the blind, who can be recognized by guide dogs, white canes, or help from the sighted.

• Bicycles are vehicles and cyclists have the same rights and obligations as car drivers.

• At a 4-lane stop, the vehicle that arrives first has priority, followed by vehicles on the right.

• When several vehicles approach an unregulated intersection at about the same time, the one on the right has priority.

• When turning left, you must give way to any oncoming vehicle.

• When overtaking or changing lanes, you must give way to any vehicle already in the lane you wish to enter.

• When merging, you must yield to vehicles already on the roadway, and you must not merge if it means another motorist will have to slow down to let you pass.

• On mountain roads where there is not enough room for two vehicles, a downhill vehicle must give way to an uphill vehicle, either by stopping or reversing in a wider area, unless it is safer and more practical for the driver . the car is about to move.

• You must always give way to emergency vehicles if they sound their sirens or flash their headlights. Pull over to the side of the road. If you are at an intersection, continue driving until you leave the intersection and then stop.

• You must give way to road maintenance vehicles flashing warning lights. Be especially careful in snowy conditions, as a blizzard can make snowplows virtually invisible.

Common misconceptions about Colorado toll laws

In Colorado, the blinking blue and yellow lights of road maintenance vehicles don't just alert you to their presence. They also indicate that you must give way to these vehicles under all circumstances.

Penalties for non-compliance**

• In Colorado, if you do not yield the right of way to a passenger or commercial vehicle, your license will immediately be assessed at three points.

• For your first violation, you will also be fined $60. Your second violation will cost you $90 and your third violation will cost you $120.

• Failure to yield right-of-way to an emergency or road maintenance vehicle will result in 4 points and a fine of $80 for the first violation, $120 for the second, and $160 for the third.

See Colorado Driver's Handbook Section 10 (10.2), page 20, and Section 15, page 33 for more information.