DriveSmartBC

Intersections with traffic lights are the busiest and most controlled areas that we travel through as we drive on B.C.'s highways. They are also the most dangerous, because in 2002 more than 42% of collisions occurred at these locations. If you lose your way, making a U turn here is not an option.

The signal lights are there because the intersection handles large volumes of traffic. They allow traffic to move in an efficient manner, and may react to both the time of day and the presence of traffic at the intersection. The lanes and lines on the road dictate how traffic enters the intersection and how it moves as it passes through and exits. This regimentation allows all drivers to know what to expect from each other in the encounter.

7,957 people were injured and 84 people were killed in intersection collisions during 2002. Failing to yield right of way and ignoring a traffic control device accounted for 26% of the collision causing errors that year, and these actions are highly likely to occur at intersections. The worst kind of collision is common here, and that is the front of one vehicle striking the side of another.

Exercising care and following the rules are the best way to pass though an intersection with traffic lights in safety. Making a U turn here is specifically forbidden by the Motor Vehicle Act at any time. A U turn introduces an unexpected action in the intersection and disturbs the flow of traffic, and the unexpected leads to collisions.

References:

Section 168 MVA - Reverse Turns