UNITS 4

25 Units > some facts subject to change

DIRECTIONS

1) Read all of the Units and if you find any Nonsense Sentences (e.g. "Stop for ants and pedestrians in crosswalks."), write them on scrap paper that you can refer to later.

2) Determine the X-Fact for all of the Units and print a maximum of 5 words on line X12 of the sheet to help you remember that fact.

3) Ensure you are prepared to look at your X12 words during a Class and express your X-Fact in a way that everyone understands.

Unit 401: BC Motor Vehicle Act Section 170: If you want to turn and traffic may be affected by your turn, you must signal. BC Motor Vehicle Act Section 151: Even if there's no traffic, you must signal a lane change. BC Motor Vehicle Act Section 162 (2): Except within a business or residential area, a commercial vehicle must not follow within 60 m of another commercial vehicle except to overtake and pass.

Unit 402: BC Motor Vehicle Act Section 204: On a highway, a person must not throw, deposit, drop, or leave a glass bottle, glass, nail, tack, wire, can, or anything likely to injure a person, animal, or vehicle. On a highway (including a portion of the right of way of it) a person must not place, deposit, or dump garbage, swill, cans, bottles, papers, ashes, refuse, the carcass of a dead animal, offal, trash, rubbish, or a nauseous or offensive matter.

Unit 403: BC Motor Vehicle Act Section 119 (1): Through highways have stop signs erected at all entrances; 119 (2): An intersection is where vehicles travelling on different highways meet, but for this definition only, a highway doesn't include a lane or way less than 5 m in width that separates the rear property lines of parcels of land fronting on highways running more or less parallel to and on each side of the lane or way.

Unit 404: Check cross streets for signs or signals because some intersections are uncontrolled and the first vehicle to arrive has the right of way. When 2 vehicles arrive at the same time, the vehicle on the right has the right of way. The yielding-to-right rule helps traffic flow faster: when the vehicle on the right is halfway across the intersection, the path is clear for the vehicle on the left; but, if the vehicle on the left went first, it would need to cross most of the intersection before the path would be clear for the vehicle on the right.

Unit 405: Tai v. Brown (1992): When two vehicles arrive at the same time at an uncontrolled intersection, the driver on the right has the right of way; however, if that driver operates their vehicle with impunity, at an excessive speed, or without consideration of other vehicles, they will be partly liable for a collision with a vehicle entering the intersection from the left.

Unit 406: The ICBC "Statement of Limitation" near the front of the manual states that the Motor Vehicle Act and Regulations apply whenever the manual is different. In Chapter 4 of the manual, there is a difference between what the manual says concerning stop positions and Section 186 of the BC Motor Vehicle Act which says the following: At a stop sign, stop before the stop line, or before the marked crosswalk, or if neither exist, before entering the intersection at the point nearest the intersecting highway from which you have a view of traffic on the intersecting highway.

Unit 407: BC Motor Vehicle Act Section 175: After stopping at an intersection with a stop sign, a driver wanting to enter a through highway must yield to traffic in the intersection and to any traffic that's close enough to be an immediate hazard, but after yielding, the driver may proceed with caution and all traffic travelling on the through highway must yield.

Unit 408: If you are rear-ended while turning left at a place that is not an intersection, you are partially liable for the crash. BC Motor Vehicle Act Section 166: Do not turn left at a place that is not an intersection (a private driveway or a lane that's less than 5 m wide) unless you can turn safely without impeding traffic.

Unit 409: BC Motor Vehicle Act Section 176: When you exit a lane or driveway, always stop before the sidewalk, even if there are no pedestrians or ghosts in the area. BC Motor Vehicle Act Section 119: A crosswalk is where signs, lines, or other markings exist for pedestrians to cross. A crosswalk also exists on the part of a highway within the extension of the lateral lines of a sidewalk on one or both sides of the highway when the sidewalk ends at a curb or the edge of a roadway at an intersection. BC Motor Vehicle Act Section 193: Do not reverse into crosswalks or intersections or night clubs.

Unit 410: The point-of-no-return at a traffic light varies with a vehicle's speed and type, the driver's reaction time, the traffic behind, the road slope and condition, and the pedestrian and vehicle dynamics at the intersection ahead. Selecting a point-of-no-return at higher speeds is more difficult, so prepare-to-stop lights (flashing yellow) are sometimes positioned well before the intersection. When they start flashing, the green light ahead is about to turn yellow. Some drivers speed up to make the green light and if there's a crash in the intersection, it's more severe because of the higher speed.

Unit 411: Ward v. MacDonald (1997): If a driver is approaching an intersection when the traffic light turns yellow, and the driver can't stop safely, they have the right-of-way through the intersection and another driver who wants to turn left across the approaching driver's path must yield before turning. The turning driver must not proceed until certain the oncoming vehicle will stop.

Unit 412: BC Motor Vehicle Act Section 129: After you stop at an intersection red light, the Act specifies you must wait for green before proceeding straight. After you stop at a non-intersection red light, the Act specifies you must allow pedestrians to cross the roadway; however, after they cross, the Act doesn't specify you must wait for green before proceeding straight.

Unit 413: In BC, it's legal to drive through a corner parking lot to avoid a traffic light or intersection but you must stop before the edge of the sidewalk when exiting the lot. This law and many others can change in other jurisdictions; for example, here is New York Street and Traffic Bylaw 1225: Don't drive across or on a sidewalk, driveway, parking lot or private property, or otherwise drive off the roadway in order to avoid a traffic control device or intersection.

Unit 414: During the ICBC road test, you need to complete a left turn in the first lane right of the center line unless there are multiple turning lanes. This requirement is different than what is stated in Section 165 of the BC Motor Vehicle Act: For a right turn, approach the intersection and turn as close as practicable to the right curb or edge of the road. For a left turn, approach the intersection as close as practicable to the right of the center line or road center and complete the turn to the right of the center line [the Act doesn't specify first lane right]. If practicable, use the part of the intersection to the left of the intersection's center. If there are multiple turning lanes, follow the lane markings.

Unit 415: If there's a two-way left turn lane and you want to turn left into a driveway to exit a road, don't enter the lane without an awareness of oncoming vehicles that may enter the lane. If you're leaving a driveway to enter a road with a two-way left turn lane, don't travel in the lane; however, you can turn into the lane and wait there until it's safe to merge with the traffic on the road you just entered.

Unit 416: BC Motor Vehicle Act Section 168: U-turns are illegal where they interfere with traffic, where signs prohibit them, in intersections with traffic lights, near the crest of a hill with less than 150 m visibility, in business districts except in intersections with no traffic lights, on a curve, and where bylaws prohibit them. Vancouver Street and Traffic Bylaw 2849 (38): U-turns are only permitted on non-arterial roads in uncontrolled intersections.

Unit 417: BC Motor Vehicle Act Section 158: If there's no lane to your right, you can pass on the right only if the vehicle you pass is turning left and the road is wide enough so that all of your tires stay on the pavement as you pass. Before passing on the right of a vehicle waiting to turn left, position your vehicle to be more easily seen by any oncoming left-turning vehicles (and slow down if necessary for safety). The passing-on-right restrictions also apply when cycling.

Unit 418: BC Motor Vehicle Act Section 151.1: On a road with 2 or more marked lanes (except for a bus lane, high occupancy vehicle lane, or designated use lane) for traffic moving in the same direction, if a vehicle approaches you from behind when the speed limit is 80 km/h or more and traffic is moving at least 50 km/h, don't drive in the left lane unless you're passing a vehicle, helping traffic merge, avoiding a hazard, preparing to turn left, or passing an official vehicle that has its lights flashing. This left-lane rule doesn't apply to HOV lanes.

Unit 419: When you are in a merging lane and traffic is dense, waiting until the end of the lane to merge allows more vehicles to fit into the merging lane. Vehicles should merge by alternating from each lane. Avoid stopping in a merging lane, but if you must, be aware of drivers behind who may not see you stopped ahead because their heads are turned to check their blind spots.

Unit 420: BC Motor Vehicle Act Section 190: Except when a municipality, a treaty first nation, or the minister responsible for the administration of the Transportation Act permits, a driver must not stop, stand or park a vehicle on a roadway other than on the right side of the roadway and with the right hand wheels parallel to that side, and where there is a curb, within 30 cm of the curb. Double parking (2 rows of vehicles parked parallel along a curb) is illegal.

Unit 421: It's illegal to stop in a "No Parking" zone unless the stopped vehicle is actively being loaded or unloaded. It's illegal to stop in a "No Stopping" zone so someone can enter or exit the vehicle. It's illegal to open a vehicle's door into traffic when it's unsafe or to leave it open unless you're actively loading or unloading. To enter a vehicle parked on the road, walk around the front of the vehicle so you can watch approaching traffic as you open the driver's door.

Unit 422: Here are some of the places where it's illegal to park: in a bicycle lane; across a driveway; within 6 m of a stop sign, traffic light, crosswalk, or intersection; if you block the visibility of a traffic sign; within 15 m of railway tracks or 5 m of a fire hydrant; on a bridge or boulevard; on a sidewalk; beside a yellow or red curb; in a tunnel; where bylaws prohibit parking. If you don't pay a municipal parking ticket, your credit history can be impacted and city hall can prohibit you from renewing your driver's licence or vehicle registration. These penalties do not apply to private lot parking tickets.

Unit 423: Richmond Street and Traffic Bylaw 12.4 L: There's a maximum of 3 hours parking from 8 am until 6 pm on a highway in front of residential or commercial property unless you own the property, live there, or work there. BC Motor Vehicle Act Section 189: Do not park in an intersection except as directed by a sign. In the 1985 case of McDowell v. Barry, a driver who parked in a T-intersection and blocked the view of the road was liable for a crash.

Unit 424: It's usually better to reverse into parking stalls because there is better visibility when exiting the stall, the front blind zone is smaller than the rear zone, shorter jumper cables will reach the battery, and you can turn the front tires to create an impact barrier for adjacent vehicles. Even though reverse parking is usually recommended, it's illegal in some places; for example, here is Edmonton Street and Traffic Bylaw 23: When angle parking, one of the vehicle's front wheels must be no more than 500 mm from the curb or sun.

Unit 425: When parking on a slope, turn front wheels in correct direction (dependant on curb or no curb, uphill or downhill), set parking brake, and shift to "P". With a standard transmission, shift to the gear matching the direction the car would roll ("R" if facing uphill, "1" if facing downhill). Section 191 of the BC Motor Vehicle Act requires you to lock and secure your parked vehicle to prevent unauthorized use. Some police say this means a convertible's top must be up and no window left open more than the width of a hand.