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Red Light – Doesn’t Always Mean Stay Stopped

Mid-Block Pedestrian-Controlled Traffic Lights

Did you know you don’t always have to stay stopped at a red light? I’m talking about mid-block pedestrian-controlled traffic lights in British Columbia. In other words, pedestrian-controlled traffic lights that are located somewhere other than at an intersection.

Regular Red Lights

For a regular red light located at an intersection, the BC Motor Vehicle Act states that drivers must cause their vehicles to stop and not proceed until the light is green, unless you’re doing a legal right turn on a red light, or in certain cases a left turn on a red light (onto a one-way street for example.)

Red Lights Located Somewhere Other Than At Intersections

However, for red lights located at places other than intersections, the only legal requirement is to come to a complete stop and yield right-of-way to any pedestrians, bikes or road users using the crosswalk. Then, drivers may proceed straight ahead even if the light is still red.

Logical Driving Laws

This makes sense from a logical perspective; and driving laws tend to be based around logic. What’s the point in staying stopped, staring at the red light not at an intersection, when no one else is around? There is none.

Mid-Block Pedestrian-Controlled Crosswalk Video

Check out this video starting around the 1:20 mark as an example of this. There are actually two examples next to each other in this video.

British Columbia Motor Vehicle Act

British Columbia Motor Vehicle Act Section 129 (5)

(5) When a red light is exhibited at a place other than an intersection by a traffic control signal,

(a) the driver of a vehicle approaching the signal must cause it to stop before entering the nearest marked crosswalk in the vicinity of the signal, or if there is no marked crosswalk, before reaching the signal, and

(b) a pedestrian may proceed across the roadway.

Compare that to the section that deals with red lights that are located at intersections:

Section 129 — Red light

129 (1) Subject to subsection (2), when a red light alone is exhibited at an intersection by a traffic control signal, the driver of a vehicle approaching the intersection and facing the red light must cause it to stop before entering the marked crosswalk on the near side of the intersection, or if there is no marked crosswalk, before entering the intersection, and subject to the provisions of subsection (3), must not cause the vehicle to proceed until a traffic control signal instructs the driver that he or she is permitted to do so.

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