Intersections

Kate asks “When your light is green at the intersection ahead but above you the advanced yellow overhead warning lights have begun to flash, should you be preparing to stop for that green light?”

We've all seen it and I'll bet that we all talk about them, drivers who race us to the next red light. Here they come, weaving through traffic, going over the speed limit and pass by us just in time to stop for the same red light that we do. These drivers put us all at risk to gain nothing and demonstrate their inability to plan ahead.

Twice in the past week I've watched drivers who were stopped legally in the intersection signalling a left turn back out of the intersection when the traffic light that they were facing turned red. Why would a driver do this? The action is completely out of context and unsafe.

The City of Victoria has rebuilt the intersection of Fernwood Road and Haultain Street to include centre islands, crossrides, sharrows and a right in, right out restriction for Haultain. This has resulted in confusion among road users leading to collisions.

Question: I live in quiet little Summerland and my question is about right of way. Our busiest intersection is a T-junction complete with 3 cross walks. Traffic usually proceeds through that T junction at a very slow pace.

The case of Stempowicz v Dobbs involves a collision at the intersection of Veterans Memorial Parkway and Langford Parkway in Langford. The traffic light was green for the opposing drivers, one turning left and one driving straight through. Justice Morley decides which driver was the immediate hazard.

Mirror, signal left, brake and stop before the marked stop line. Look left, look right and the pickup that was following behind stops ahead of me on my right, half on and half off the roadway, to make a right turn. Of course, I can't see cross traffic to my right properly, so he gets to go before I do.

Question: We have too many blind corners in our communities says a correspondent. They have seen many near misses because of fences, trees and hedges blocking the view of drivers who are attempting to turn onto a street.

Believe it or not, in British Columbia a yellow traffic light tells you that you must stop before you enter the intersection! Yes, I know that there is one caveat to that statement, and it is "unless the stop cannot be made in safety." The onus is on the driver that does not stop for the yellow light to show that it was unsafe if they are involved in court proceedings because of their decision.

A Courtenay resident is upset with drivers that turn left from the Island Highway onto Ryan Road and fail to enter the first available lane. He identifies this as a problem for drivers traveling in the opposite direction on the highway wanting to turn right onto Ryan Road. Who would be liable he wonders if the right turn vehicle failed to yield as directed by the sign and collided with a vehicle that had made the left turn into the curb lane instead of the lane next to the center line.