Left On Red In British Columbia?

Left turn red light. Wait, what? Turning left on a red light is a thing that is actually sometimes legal. But you really need to pay close attention to the road you are planning to turn onto. This will determine the legality.

Most people wonder about right turns on red lights, and different places have different rules for these types of turns. In British Columbia, you may turn right on a red light if it’s safe to do so and if you completely stop first.

Oh and avoiding those pesky turning restriction signs helps too.

If you think about why we are allowed to turn right on a red light, it may help to understand the rules about turning left.

Basically, we are not crossing two directions of traffic to turn right on a red light. We are kind of sneakily sneaking into the flow. Without worrying about 2 directions. So it’s quite kind of sort of like a right turn at stop sign.

When you turn left on a red light, it must be similarly turning into the flow and not crossing 2 directions. If that made any sense at all.

*This info is relevant to British Columbia, Canada and may not apply to other provinces, states or countries.

Left Turn Red Light – At Two-Way Streets

Let’s get straight to the point. It’s illegal to turn left on a red light if you’re turning onto a two-way street.

That all makes a lot of sense because if it were safe for you to turn left at that intersection on a red light, then there probably wouldn’t be a red light there,… if you know what I mean.

Left Turn Red Light – At One-Way Streets

You may turn left on a red light:

• From a one-way street onto another one-way street or
• From a two-way street onto a one-way street
• Treat as you would a right turn on a red light
• You must completely stop and yield to others before proceeding
• Check for turning restriction signs

Left Turn Red Light – Left from one-way street onto one-way street is allowed

Here’s an example of where this turn is legally allowed.

Notice that the car only has one direction of traffic to yield to. It’s not about to cross two different directions.

Left Turn Red Light – Left from a two-way street onto a one-way street is also allowed

Same idea here. The vehicle only needs to yield to one direction.

This is from the ICBC publication Learn to Drive Smart

There is also a very clear statement on the Vancouver Police Department website

Yes, you are permitted to turn left from a two-way street onto a one-way street at an intersection when you are facing a RED traffic light, providing the intersection is clear of vehicles, cyclists and / or pedestrians and that you are intending on traveling in the direction of the one-way street and it is safe to do so. You have to come to a complete stop immediately before entering the intersection or entering the marked crosswalk on the near side of that intersection.

 Read about red lights in the BC MOTOR VEHICLE ACT

Red light British Columbia Motor Vehicle Act

Conclusion

So, while we are allowed to turn left on a red light in some spots, remember that you don’t have to. This is just fancy extra stuff – a lot of times completely not necessary – in my opinion.

It’s perfectly fine to wait for your light to go green. Personally I just feel better moving through intersections when my light is green and not red; especially when I consider potential fault. But to each their own.