Question: I was hoping if someone could point me in the direction of any laws on cars using private driveways to turn around. I have many cars using my driveway to do two-point turns to change directions and it's driving me a bit crazy. One car nearly hit my daughter who was in the driveway having just got out of my car.
I don't think they even noticed the toddler they came three feet from running over. In my own driveway. I assume this is illegal but cannot find any resources online. In addition, any suggestions for curbing this activity is greatly appreciated.
Defining Your Driveway
I wonder how you define your driveway. It's really only yours after your property line is reached. Before then it is really part of the highway and available for others to use, within reason.
Restricting Access
Of course, they can't block it or drive onto your property without your permission.
Some permission is implied, for instance when someone visits you or makes a delivery. Removal of any permission is obvious when you post a no trespassing sign or construct some sort of restriction, such as a chain, cable or gate.
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My house is the last one on the block, at the intersection of two arterial streets, so my sympathies are with the originator of this Thread as I get vehicles diving into my driveway quite frequently in order to execute a two-point turn so they can get turned around. And from a safety standpoint, heading nose-first into a driveway, close to an intersection, is about the dumbest way possible to do this - the driver then has to somehow reverse out of the driveway, close to an intersection, across a lane of traffic, while looking where he's going and also factoring in traffic from the other direction. Ludicrous collision exposure, with the risk-meter going off the scale.
When I'm teaching students, I always include a lesson on getting turned around; pointing out that the safest way will avoid reversing (three rights and a left, or three lefts and a right, or a U-Turn where safe), the next best choice being a mid-block 2-point turn reversing into a driveway or laneway, and if that isn't viable then a mid-block 3-point (or 5-point, or 7-point etc depending on the width of the road available and the size of your vehicle) turn. Mid-block because that provides the best visibility for you and of you.
Many people may not be aware of this, but for some years now executing a safe 3-point turn has been part of the ICBC Class 5 Road Test for some time. Probably the only place they don't do this is in the City of Vancouver, due to a local (and misguided) bylaw prohibiting the maneuver.
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Hey Guys,
Just my 2 cents but, across from my Son's school there are houses where people despise parents that use their driveways for turn arounds. So what they've done is put little "gates" at the end. A brick with two pieces of wood across it. I've driven by on the weekend and the brick and wood is gone so it's just something they do during the week.
You could also park your own car at the end of your driveway eliminating the ability of anybody using your end of the driveway to turn around in. Or purchase a couple of Orange cones to leave at the end of your driveway.
Unfortunately, I don't think there is any law to stop this as somebody did mention that typically the first 20 feet of your driveway are owned by the city, depending on your local By-Law. (I'm not 100% sure but, i think typically it's 50 feet from the center of a two lane road)
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Changing direction