One of the most common rules drivers learn is that a vehicle turning left must yield to oncoming traffic. That is a useful rule of thumb, but it is not the complete rule in British Columbia.
The Motor Vehicle Act establishes specific circumstances in which a driver turning left must yield. It also establishes a circumstance in which traffic approaching from the opposite direction must yield to the vehicle making the left turn.
Understanding when the obligation to yield changes from one driver to the other is the key to understanding who should proceed first.
First, look at the traffic controls
Before deciding who must yield, look for traffic control devices. Drivers are required to obey applicable traffic control devices, including stop signs, yield signs and traffic signals.
This matters because the fact that one vehicle is turning left does not, by itself, determine who must yield.
For example, section 173(2) says that when two vehicles approach or enter an intersection from different highways at approximately the same time and there is a yield sign, the driver facing the yield sign must yield to all other traffic, subject to the rule for entering a through highway.
The same principle applies to traffic signals. The signal controls the movements of vehicles facing it, and the applicable rules must be considered before applying the ordinary left-turn rule.
The rule for left turns
Section 174 of the Motor Vehicle Act is specifically titled Yielding right of way on left turn. It says:
When a vehicle is in an intersection and its driver intends to turn left, the driver must yield the right of way to traffic approaching from the opposite direction that is in the intersection or so close as to constitute an immediate hazard, but having yielded and given a signal as required by sections 171 and 172, the driver may turn the vehicle to the left, and traffic approaching the intersection from the opposite direction must yield the right of way to the vehicle making the left turn.
There are two parts to this rule, and both are important.
The left-turning driver must yield first
When a vehicle is in the intersection and its driver intends to turn left, the driver must yield to traffic approaching from the opposite direction if that traffic is already in the intersection or is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard.
This is the part of the rule that most drivers are familiar with. A driver cannot simply turn left across the path of opposing traffic that must be yielded to.
The important words are "in the intersection or so close as to constitute an immediate hazard." The law does not say that every vehicle that can be seen approaching from the opposite direction must be yielded to regardless of its distance or speed.
Then the opposing driver must yield
Section 174 does not end with the left-turning driver's obligation to yield. It says that, having yielded, the driver may turn and that traffic approaching the intersection from the opposite direction must yield to the vehicle making the left turn.
This is the part of the rule that is often overlooked.
The law therefore does not say:
"A vehicle turning left must always yield to opposing traffic."
Instead, section 174 describes a sequence:
- The left-turning driver yields to opposing traffic that is in the intersection or constitutes an immediate hazard.
- Having yielded, the left-turning driver may make the turn, provided the other applicable requirements have been met.
- Traffic approaching the intersection from the opposite direction must yield to the vehicle making the left turn.
Why the sequence matters
Imagine a vehicle waiting in an intersection to turn left while an opposing vehicle approaches.
If the approaching vehicle is close enough to constitute an immediate hazard, the left-turning driver must wait.
Once that traffic has passed and the left-turning driver has yielded to it, the circumstances have changed. Section 174 then requires traffic approaching the intersection from the opposite direction to yield to the vehicle making the left turn.
The fact that one vehicle is turning left does not, by itself, answer the question of who must yield.
What if another vehicle goes around the traffic?
Consider two opposing vehicles approaching an intersection. One is waiting to turn left while another vehicle approaches from the opposite direction.
If a vehicle behind the approaching vehicle moves around it and continues toward the intersection, the question of who must yield cannot be answered simply by saying that the moving vehicle is travelling straight and the other vehicle is turning left.
Section 174 requires us to consider whether the approaching traffic constitutes an immediate hazard and whether the left-turning driver has already yielded as required.
Other provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act may also apply to the manoeuvre around the other vehicle. The legality and safety of the passing movement therefore have to be considered separately from the left-turn rule.
A yield sign can change the answer
Suppose a left-turning vehicle and another vehicle approach an intersection where the other vehicle is facing a yield sign.
The driver facing the yield sign must obey it. The fact that the other vehicle is turning left does not cancel the obligation created by the yield sign.
This is a useful example because it demonstrates why "the left-turning vehicle always yields" is not a complete statement of British Columbia law.
The first question is not simply which vehicle is turning. It is which traffic control devices and statutory rules apply to the particular movements being made.
What about a vehicle entering a through highway?
There is another example in the Motor Vehicle Act that illustrates the same general idea.
Under section 175, a driver entering a through highway after stopping must yield to traffic that has entered the intersection on the through highway or is approaching so closely that it constitutes an immediate hazard.
But section 175(2) then says that traffic approaching on the through highway must yield to the entering vehicle while it is proceeding into or across the highway.
The point is not that section 175 replaces section 174. It doesn't. Rather, it demonstrates that the Motor Vehicle Act can impose a sequence of yielding obligations rather than permanently assigning priority to one road user.
Traffic signals require a separate look
Traffic signals can change the circumstances while a vehicle is in the intersection.
On a steady green light, a driver may turn left, but must yield to vehicles lawfully in the intersection when the green light became exhibited.
A driver may therefore enter the intersection on green and wait for opposing traffic before completing a left turn.
If the light changes while the driver is waiting in the intersection, the driver is not required to abandon the turn and reverse out of the intersection. The driver may complete the turn when it can be done safely.
This is consistent with ICBC's driver-training guidance, which specifically tells drivers that if they are in an intersection waiting to turn left and the light changes to yellow, they are legally allowed to complete the turn, while warning them to watch carefully for other vehicles, particularly drivers attempting to beat the red light.
The important distinction is between a vehicle already lawfully in the intersection and a vehicle that is approaching the intersection after the signal has changed.
What does ICBC teach?
This is where the distinction between the law and driver-training advice becomes useful, but it should not be confused with the main question of who is legally required to yield.
ICBC's Learn to Drive Smart guide tells drivers that when making a left turn on a steady green light, they must yield to oncoming traffic and wait for a safe gap before turning.
That is sensible defensive-driving advice. It gives a new driver a practical rule that helps prevent a collision with an approaching vehicle.
But it is a simplified description of the situation, not a replacement for the wording of section 174.
Section 174 identifies the opposing traffic that the left-turning driver must yield to. It also expressly says that, having yielded, opposing traffic approaching the intersection must yield to the vehicle making the left turn.
There is therefore an important difference between what a driver should do to avoid a collision and which driver the law requires to yield in a particular circumstance.
Having the right of way does not make a collision impossible
"Right of way" is common language, but it can give the wrong impression. The law establishes obligations to yield; it does not guarantee that every driver will obey those obligations.
A driver who is legally entitled to proceed can still face a collision if another driver fails to yield.
For that reason, defensive driving requires more than knowing who is legally required to yield. You also need to pay attention to what other road users are actually doing.
If another driver is not going to yield, avoiding the collision is more important than proving that you were legally entitled to proceed.
So who must yield?
There is no single rule that says the left-turning driver always yields. The answer depends on the circumstances.
- Look at the traffic controls. Stop signs, yield signs and traffic signals may establish obligations that determine who must yield.
- Apply the appropriate statutory rule. Section 174 specifically addresses a vehicle in an intersection whose driver intends to turn left.
- For section 174, the left-turning driver must first yield to opposing traffic that is in the intersection or so close as to constitute an immediate hazard.
- After yielding, the obligation can change. Section 174 says that opposing traffic approaching the intersection must then yield to the vehicle making the left turn.
- Consider the actual circumstances. The position, speed and movement of the vehicles matter. Simply labelling one vehicle a "left turner" and the other an "oncoming vehicle" is not always enough.
- Drive defensively. A driver who is legally entitled to proceed should not blindly proceed when it is apparent that another driver is not going to yield.
The safest way to approach a yielding question is therefore not simply to ask, "Which vehicle has the right of way?"
Ask instead:
"Which driver is required to yield under the traffic controls and the circumstances that exist right now?"
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