Lane change in an intersection Legal or not?
- Thread starter nobbie48
- Start date
There isn't anything specific in the HTA about this, but the driver's handbook says to maintain the same lane through the turn (e.g. if you start a left turn from the leftmost lane then you complete the turn to the leftmost lane - NOT going directly to the right lane) - and I agree; lots of folks get this wrong.
silent_vik
Well-known member
i've always been told its illegal.
I thought it was even a certain number of metres before and after... 3 metres?
bobjohnson
Well-known member
Are you talking about making the change in the intersection, or lets say turning left from the left lane, and ending up in the far right lane?
Either way, illegal. In my car got hit by a van changing lanes mid intersection (3 lanes across, i was making a right turn on a red) and i still got a ticket for failure to yeild though... The cop said he made an illegal lane change but apparently a failure to yield trumps that...
As for making the turn and not staying in your lane, thats definately illegal, my grandfather got a ticket for that. It was the "Lane change not in safety" ticket mentioned above. However if its an emergency its allowed, i had to do it during my driving test, a guy made the left but then immediately jammed his brakes and stopped. I swerved around, drive test guy almost peed himself a little, and then said that was an excellent example of an emergency lane change
No points off.
It will all depend on how bad a day the cop is having though, since people do both all the time for no reason other than laziness.
Either way, illegal. In my car got hit by a van changing lanes mid intersection (3 lanes across, i was making a right turn on a red) and i still got a ticket for failure to yeild though... The cop said he made an illegal lane change but apparently a failure to yield trumps that...
As for making the turn and not staying in your lane, thats definately illegal, my grandfather got a ticket for that. It was the "Lane change not in safety" ticket mentioned above. However if its an emergency its allowed, i had to do it during my driving test, a guy made the left but then immediately jammed his brakes and stopped. I swerved around, drive test guy almost peed himself a little, and then said that was an excellent example of an emergency lane change
No points off.It will all depend on how bad a day the cop is having though, since people do both all the time for no reason other than laziness.
Are you talking about making the change in the intersection, or lets say turning left from the left lane, and ending up in the far right lane?
Either way, illegal. In my car got hit by a van changing lanes mid intersection (3 lanes across, i was making a right turn on a red) and i still got a ticket for failure to yeild though... The cop said he made an illegal lane change but apparently a failure to yield trumps that...
As for making the turn and not staying in your lane, thats definately illegal, my grandfather got a ticket for that. It was the "Lane change not in safety" ticket mentioned above. However if its an emergency its allowed, i had to do it during my driving test, a guy made the left but then immediately jammed his brakes and stopped. I swerved around, drive test guy almost peed himself a little, and then said that was an excellent example of an emergency lane change
It will all depend on how bad a day the cop is having though, since people do both all the time for no reason other than laziness.
I was downtown in the cage and making a right turn on a red from Adelaide to Jarvis. I always keep try to keep a good lookout in the direction I'm turning because of idiot pedestrians and as I make the turn some southbound old hag in a minivan makes a lane change to the curb lane without signaling and then gives me the evil eye because we were on a collision course. No hit or even close but if she had a brain in her head instead of cigarette smoke she would have recognized it was her fault.
What aggravates me is that the Fantino-brains out there have conditioned drivers to think that as long as you don't speed or drink you are a safe driver.
Those are the TWO most crucial laws in society...NO speeding and NO drinking and driving, if you follow both rules you must be an upstanding citizen and a fantastic driver
I was turning left into the leftmost lane and someone opposite me was turning right (starting off in their rightmost lane), then they decided that wasn't good enough and aimed straight at my lane and straight at me. That's why you should stick to yur lane and move only when safe to do so.
Those are the TWO most crucial laws in society...NO speeding and NO drinking and driving, if you follow both rules you must be an upstanding citizen and a fantastic driver
The safer the vehical the more dangerous the driver.
This. I get unbelievably nervous when I see the soccer mom in a Yukon or Suburban because I know she doesn't give a **** and there's at least a cell phone in there somewhere...
Illegal but rarely enforced, especially downtown when sometimes there is no choice but to change lanes in an intersection to avoid an oncoming left turner. Common sense trumps legality. I do it when necessary.
It's not EXPLICITLY illegal. That doesn't mean that it isn't, just that there's no law that specifically states anything about making a lane change in the middle of an intersection. It can still be charged under a variety of different theories.
