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You can turn left on a red - sometimes

QUESTION: I would like some clarification on left turns onto a one way street on a red light.

QUESTION:

I would like some clarification on left turns onto a one way street on a red light.

The way that I have read the law and the way that other police officers have answered me including two at your office is that you can turn also from a two-way street.

But your previous columns suggest that you can only turn left at a red light from a oneway street to a one-way street.

The way that I read the regulation, it is only important that you turn onto a one-way street and it does not matter if it is a two-way street or a oneway street that you are turning from, since there is no conflict with cross traffic, as long as you give way to pedestrians and traffic lawfully in the intersection.

An example would be the on-ramps at Lonsdale and the Highway 1 and Westview and the highway. Both of these interchanges have one-way onramps and they each have their own traffic light.

The on-ramp at the Superstore intersection used to be a one-way lane but is now a two-way lane. And there was a change also at Taylor Way and Highway 1 at the British Properties exit. This also has now been changed into a two-way highway on-ramp even through the oncoming lane must turn right only and does not make it a cross-traffic hazard which should allow you to turn left on a red light if you give way to pedestrians and all traffic lawfully in the intersection.

The last one where you are allowed to turn left on a red light is down at the northbound highway on-ramp just past the overpass near the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing. Here, the oncoming lane has turned into a loop onto Main Street and does not cross over the intersection at the on-ramp from Deep Cove and Main Street.

I like the fact that there is again someone answering traffic law questions, as this is the most common way that most people will break the laws and come in conflict with the police. So it is best that we all understand the laws, both the driving public and the police. I have asked the same traffic questions to many police officers in the Lower Mainland and have had more than one answer to the same question. This should not be the case.

David Brownell

North Vancouver

Dear Mr. Brownell,

Thank you for your clarifying question. You are correct in asserting that a vehicle may turn left on a red light from a two-way street to a one-way street. A driver making such a turn must come to a complete stop at the red light first, must yield to vehicles and pedestrians that are proceeding according to their respective traffic control devices, and upon proceeding must turn into the first nearest lane of travel in the direction in which he or she is turning. For your examples, two of which are the intersection at Lonsdale and Highway 1, and Westview and the highway, you are correct, a left turn may be executed on a red light since both of the onramps onto which drivers will turn are one-way highways.

The Motor Vehicle Act states, in part: ". . . a vehicle facing the red light at the intersection of not more than two highways, . . . may cause the vehicle to make a left turn into a highway on which traffic is restricted to the direction in which he or she causes the vehicle to turn, but the driver must yield the right of way to all pedestrians and vehicles lawfully proceeding as directed by the signal at the intersection. . . ."

That said, left turns at intersections statistically cause the highest number of crashes. That being the case, this type of turn must be executed with the utmost caution. Furthermore, a driver may make these turns, but is not required to. Many drivers may feel uncomfortable at the idea of making this type of turn, and should not be honked at or otherwise harassed for not doing so.

Thanks so much for the clarification.

Sgt. Peter DeVries North Vancouver RCMP

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