Be careful when approaching an intersection when the light is green – while driving

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Most drivers believe that if the light turns green at an intersection, they have absolute right of way without thinking about stopping.

A recent BC Supreme Court case involving turning left during a traffic stop shows that this is an unreasonable expectation.

So v. Hu decided liability for a collision that occurred at the intersection of Granville Street and West 63rd Avenue in Vancouver.

When Ms. So attempted to turn left from West 63rd Avenue and head north on Granville Street, traffic was backed up. Southbound Granville Street has three lanes. At the time of the collision, the vehicles were parked on the side of the road, and traffic in the middle lane was stopped in front of the intersection. Traffic flowed along the lane adjacent to the center line.

So I stopped at the stop sign on West 63rd Street and then pulled into the intersection to get a better view and try to complete the left turn. She couldn’t see the southbound lane closest to the center line.

Mr. Hu was traveling south on Granville Street at 72 km/h in a 50 km/h zone when he encountered a green light at West 63rd Street. His car collided with So’s car as she tried to cross his lane and hesitated when she saw his car approaching.

The judge in the case, Judge Shergill, began by noting that both drivers had a duty of care in all circumstances. This is established both by common law and by section 144 of the Motor Vehicle Act.

Shergill went on to say that it is unreasonable to wait at a stop line to ensure complete unobstructed visibility in all lanes during rush hour before turning left. If this were the case, rush hour traffic would be at a standstill.

Hu was described as oblivious to the fact that his speed did not match the volume of traffic. His speeding was the main cause of the collision, especially since the presence of a pedestrian signal at the intersection could have required him to stop suddenly.

Shergill found Hu to be 70% responsible for the collision and So 30%.

This article was written by or on behalf of an independent columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.