Q&A - Left Turn Over Single Solid Line

Q&A ImageQuestion: On my way home from dropping my daughter at school I make a left turn onto my street at an intersection and then need to turn left immediately again as my house is the 1st driveway. I do so over a single yellow line and am often getting honks etc.

I don't think they're aware I'm turning into a driveway although I do signal... Am I wrong or are they?

image of car making a left turn into a driveway

Left Turn Restrictions

For the most part, they are wrong. However, if for some reason it is unsafe to make the left turn, you are forbidden to do so. There are three sections of the Motor Vehicle Act that cover this situation, one for the left turn and two for the lines:

Highway lines

155 (1) Despite anything in this Part, if a highway is marked with

(c) one single line, broken or solid, the driver of a vehicle must drive the vehicle to the right of the line, except only when passing an overtaken vehicle.

Suspension of sections 151 and 155

156 If the driver of a vehicle is causing the vehicle to enter or leave a highway and the driver has ascertained that he or she might do so with safety and does so without unreasonably affecting the travel of another vehicle, the provisions of sections 151 and 155 are suspended with respect to the driver while the vehicle is entering or leaving the highway.

Turning left other than at intersection

166 A driver of a vehicle must not turn the vehicle to the left from a highway at a place other than an intersection unless

(a) the driver causes the vehicle to approach the place on the portion of the right hand side of the roadway that is nearest the marked centre line, or if there is no marked centre line, then as far as practicable in the portion of the right half of the roadway that is nearest the centre line,

(b) the vehicle is in the position on the highway required by paragraph (a), and

(c) the driver has ascertained that the movement can be made in safety, having regard to the nature, condition and use of the highway and the traffic that actually is at the time or might reasonably be expected to be on the highway.

Your driveway is not an intersection as defined in the Act.

Not knowing where you live, if it is possible to go around the block the other way and turn right into your driveway, that could be the better choice. A small inconvenience in time, but a large gain in safety.

Sometimes There is a Better Way

As an aside, there is a parking lot that I often enter that has one end of the driveway just before the intersection and the other mid block. I choose the mid block entry as there is little room or time to take the first opportunity, especially when there is a lot of traffic.

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