Wide Right Turn Collision

Making a wide right turn is a poor driving practice that can result in a collision. Right turns must be made as closely as is practicable to the right hand edge of the roadway. Swinging left immediately before the turn is contrary to your signal and can confuse drivers and cyclists following behind you.

The case of Tang v Rodgers is an example of what can go wrong in this situation. It decides the liability for a collision that occurred when Pang Chu Tang did this before turning into his driveway and Daniel Rodgers tried to pass him on the right.

Mr. Tang

This incident occurred on East 33rd Avenue near the intersection of Commercial Street in Vancouver. Mr. Tang was driving westbound and intended to turn right into his driveway. He says that he slowed down, checked for traffic and began his turn. He was hit on the right side 

According to a witness, he slowed down and put his left turn signal on, moving to the left side of his lane. Traffic following behind thought that he intended to turn left and began to pass by on the right.

Mr. Tang switched his turn signal from left to right and began to make his right turn, colliding with a car driven by Mr. Rodgers.

Mr. Rodgers

Mr. Rodgers was driving directly behind Mr. Tang and wondered what he was doing. He concluded that Mr. Tang did not know what he was doing and because he was moving at about 10 km/h Mr. Rodgers began to pass on the right. When he reached a point where the front of his vehicle was at about mid way along Mr. Tang's vehicle, Mr. Tang turned right and they collided.

Wide Right Turn vs Pass on Right

Justice Brown found both drivers at fault. Mr. Tang for not being in the correct position to make a right turn and Mr. Rodgers for making an unsafe pass on the right.

He assessed liability at 75% for Mr. Rodgers because passing on the right was more dangerous than Mr. Tang's wide right turn.

Learn More

• Read the Reasons for Judgement - Tang v Rogers
• Section 158 MVA - Passing on the Right
• Section 167 MVA - Right Turn not at Intersection

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