Driving in a Complex Intersection

Question: I often have to use a complex intersection to get to where I am going in Nanaimo. It's at the junctions of the Old Island Highway, Jingle Pot and Shenton Roads. I use the right hand turn lane on Shenton to join the traffic on Jingle Pot and move over a lane to be able to turn left at the traffic lights onto the Old Island Highway.

Last week I was in the marked right lane on Shenton Road but was unable to move over to the left hand lane of Jingle Pot Rd as traffic was coming down Jingle Pot. Suddenly, I had two cars honking at me and one of the cars pulled up on my inside and told me that I was in the wrong lane as this lane was for traffic heading south.

He wasn’t rude at all but just told me what he felt was incorrect and added that I should have been in the lane going straight ahead to cross Jingle Pot Rd or, to turn left onto Jingle Pot. He insisted that I should have used this lane and then turned right!

I think that I was in the right and would really like to know if I am incorrect.

Location of the Complex Intersection

Lane Use Markings

When traveling northbound on Shenton as you reach Jingle Pot, you are presented with two choices, use the right lane which requires that you turn right, or the left lane that requires you to either proceed straight through or turn left.

The arrows painted on the pavement are traffic control devices whose instructions must be obeyed.

Lines on the Road

Once you have moved through the intersection you have a very short distance before the option of changing lanes to the left is prohibited by the change from a single broken white line to a single solid white line. At that point you must stay in the lane and turn southbound on Highway 19A.

The Well Meaning Driver Was Not Correct

I take it from your explanation that because you could not see a gap to move into, you remained at or near the yield sign and prevented traffic behind you from continuing with their intent to turn and go southbound. The gentleman that you describe was wrong to pull past you and incorrect in his understanding of how drivers are to proceed there.

Learn to Drive Smart Manual

Our provincial driver's guide has this to say:

Intersections controlled by yield signs

A yield sign means that you must let the traffic on the through road have the right‑of‑way. You may enter the intersection without stopping if there are no pedestrians, cyclists or vehicles on the through road. But you must slow down (and stop if necessary) and wait for a safe gap if there is traffic on the through road.

Yielding before interfering with cross traffic is the correct action to take and you are prevented from proceeding if traffic is approaching closely in either of the lanes to your left.

If you have to stop in a complex intersection to change lanes in preparation for the left turn, it likely means that you have failed to yield properly. Your decision to wait was the correct one.

Safer Route Suggestion

One suggestion to consider is to avoid a complex intersection or find a safer way to deal with it.  Consider remaining on Labieux Road and turning right onto Jingle Pot instead of Shenton. While the increase in distance is slight, moving into the correct lane for a turn northbound onto the Old Island Highway would be much easier to do.

Share This Article