U-turns could be the most abused move in any driver’s toolkit.
Occasionally it’s allowed and even wise, but usually it’s because impatient drivers want to fix their mistakes.
Like the one sent to me previously by NOW reader Tristan Calvo (I've highlighted this incident before and am circling around to it because Burnaby RCMP have issued new stats on U-turns).
Calvo captured it with his dash cam. It took place on Nelson Avenue, just off of Marine Way.
Calvo turned left onto Nelson and you can see a white car - with an 'N' sticker, of course, right in front of him suddenly stop in the middle of busy traffic and pull a U-turn.
Fortunately, Calvo was able to stop in time, but it was a jarring moment, he said.
This moment of insanity is due to the ‘N’ driver realizing they are in the wrong place and having a death wish by not pulling over up ahead and doing a proper turn.
The video is posted below. It’s really terrifying.
In 2020, the Burnaby RCMP Traffic Section nailed 761 drivers who had made an illegal U-turn on Burnaby roadways.
The typical responses police officers faced from these drivers were:
- I didn’t know it was illegal to do a U-turn
- There was no sign saying I could not do a U-turn
- My GPS told me to do a U-turn
If you ask me, I’m not buying these excuses, especially the first one about not knowing.
It’s one of the first things you learn in the driver’s training guide. People know, they just don’t care and that leads to dangerous actions on Burnaby roads.
Did you know that in the Province of British Columbia, U-turns on the roadway are illegal in most circumstances?
U-turns are dangerous and illegal manoeuvres as they are an unexpected element in the normal flow of traffic. This sudden irregular movement may result in other motorists or pedestrians not having enough time to see or react to the vehicle conducting the U-turn, which can result in a motor vehicle collision.
British Columbia prohibits U-turns under the Motor Vehicle Act, Section 168, making U-turns illegal under the following circumstances:
- If the U-turn interferes with other traffic
- In a curve
- At the crest of a hill
- When a sign prohibits a U-turn
- At an intersection controlled by a Traffic Control Signal
- In a business district, except at an intersection where no traffic control signal is present
Police say they hope informed drivers will lead to safer roadways. U-turn violation tickets range between $121 and $167 and carry two demerit points.
“Please share this information. It’s a much better and safer way to learn the rules of the road,” said Cpl. Mike Kalanj of the Burnaby RCMP. “It could save you or someone you know from an accident, or a ticket.”
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
