The Last Hundred Feet
Veh. & Traf. Law § 1163 — a turn signal given continuously during not less than the last one hundred feet
Only with reasonable safety, and never without a signal. No person turns at an intersection unless in proper position, turns into a private road or driveway, or otherwise turns from a direct course or moves right or left on a roadway, unless the movement can be made with reasonable safety, and no person so turns without giving an appropriate signal.
The last one hundred feet. A signal of intention to turn right or left, when required, is given continuously during not less than the last one hundred feet traveled before turning.
Stopping. No person stops or suddenly decreases speed without first giving an appropriate signal to the driver immediately behind, when there is opportunity.
What the signals are for. They indicate an intention to turn, change lanes, or start from a parked position, and are not flashed on one side only on a parked or disabled vehicle, or as a courtesy or do pass signal.
The hazard flashers. A vehicle equipped with simultaneously flashing signals uses them when stopped or disabled on a public highway, except when stopped for a traffic control device or legally parked.
Hand and arm signals, and the equipment a vehicle must carry for them, are set out in neighboring sections that are not all on this page. What a particular stop or ticket means is a question for a licensed New York attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Veh. & Traf. Law § 1163 — Turning movements and required signals
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New York attorney.