Information related to intersections.
I am often asked to tell the motoring public that it is illegal to make a lane change in an intersection. I cannot do this, because there is no specific rule prohibiting this driving action in B.C.'s Motor Vehicle Act. However, a defensive driver will choose not to do this, even if it is legal.
Question: I want to know about right of way at Hudson Street and 70th Avenue in Vancouver. I am traveling northbound on Hudson, have the green light and want to turn west onto 70th. Someone traveling southbound on Hudson stops at the stop sign and then turns west onto 70th. Who has the right of way?
A woman pushing a child in a stroller and the driver of a van approach an intersection controlled by a traffic light with a pedestrian signal. Both signals are red. The driver is in the lane next to the two who arrives at the cross street and stops seconds before the driver arrives at the stop line.
How much time do you have to look, decide and then begin turning left in heavy traffic? Do you feel pushed by the drivers behind you into making that decision quickly? If you cannot manage turning left at a busy intersection quickly and confidently, it's time to wait for certainty or try a different strategy.
My question is regarding the right of way at a regular two way stop sign. I've heard that once I have stopped at the sign, cross traffic is required to let me enter the intersection. I've never seen anyone do this.
This article is dedicated to the middle aged male driver who turned left in the intersection and completed his left turn half way into my lane as I approached him and half way into the lane that he was supposed to be turning into. Was he being inattentive, careless or did he not know any better?
The next time you are at the front of the lineup waiting for a green light, watch the driver beside you. Many times when the traffic signal turns green they will immediately proceed without looking to the left or right for hazards or traffic already lawfully in the intersection.
"Tell them that they need to be in the proper lane before they turn" says one reader. Equally important is the need to end up in the proper lane after turning. Attention to detail here provides for a smooth flow of traffic and less chance of being involved in a collision.
Roundabouts and traffic circles are not new to British Columbia, but if the complaints in my inbox are any indication, they are still totally mystifying to some drivers. Common issues include bulldozing into the circle without yielding, signalling when there is no need, not signalling when there is a need, and yes, going around them in the wrong direction.
Most drivers believe that if they are facing a green light at an intersection they have the absolute right of way to drive through without any need to consider stopping. A recent case in the B.C. Supreme Court on making left turns through stopped traffic illustrates that this is not a reasonable expectation.