So if a dead car is stopped on a single lane highway with double solid yellow line divider, you CANNOT pass it under any circumstances?
So are you suppose to just wait behind it for maybe hours or even days until someone finally remove the car from the hwy?

Most of the time you can't go on the right because the right is a ditch or a curb. What happens in this situation then? He should stop in front of it and wait until the obstruction is removed?

No, you can't. You can try to creep past on the right, or wait. If the cars abandoned in the middle of the road you could try the non-emergency police line.

Yes, but we were pointing out that the Roadsense book doesn't differentiate so the average joe can't possibly know this.

I'm merely saying that waiting for 6 seconds is not unreasonable enough to lean on the horn. Other factors like whether you can switch lanes come into play too.

Exactly. It's amazing that so many people, when shown the MVA section on this, STILL think that there's a difference between single solid/broken yellow, and double solid yellows with regards to turning across it. The MVA section clearly says you can't turn across any of them. Most people think that ONLY double solid yellows = can't turn across, when in fact, you can't turn across ANY yellow, whether it's single or broken or double unless "leaving the highway".

fair enough
I'm hoping the cop (and judge) are human beings and can understand how ridiculous a scenario like this is for the average joe.

Thankfully most are. I've had cops pass me on the right when I was waiting to turn left over a double yellow on kingsway before. There was oncoming traffic and the wait was probably 10-15 seconds, but the people behind me were able to switch lanes so it was all good.

Just realized something too

On Skidmark's page http://www.drivesmartbc.ca/lanes/tur...er-solid-lines
he neglects to mention anything about store parking lots/gas stations vs residential parking lots. Thus, anyone reading this page (posted in 2006) and taking his advice could potentially get a ticket for it even if he were not unreasonably blocking traffic if the cop decides to be strict on this "highway" clause. If this were so important, as 99% of all turns midblocks are INTO store parking lots/gas stations, why not mention it?

Perhaps by this time I'm simply beating a dead horse but I'm merely pointing out the contradicting information (or simply neglecting to mention these this major difference) can potentially cause someone to get an undeserved ticket.

PS. I also bet that nobody on this forum is gonna change their behaviour :haha:

lol...who ever made these rules without exception is just retarded

Don't put money on that... now that I know the rule, I'll follow it. Not all of us on here are complete dicks on the road.

I also come to a complete stop before the white line at all stop signs and red lights (before turning, if that's the case)... I don't tailgate, I rarely ever speed (only if the flow of traffic dictates it), and I never ever talk on a cellphone while I drive.

Some of us are just old.. I guess.

agreed. No exceptions? No way I'm gonna sit there for hours behind the vehicle obstruction on a two-lane road (1 each direction) just so I don't cross a double yellow. Dear lord. Every single car behind WILL pass and I'll just look like a fool who follows the law to the T. I'd rather use common sense and pass when safe.


We aren't being dicks by doing this. Taking a shortcut != being a dick if you're not affecting others "unreasonably". Tailgating and cutting ppl off is.
It's called common sense.

skip midblock turn in many areas (like richmond, alexandra rd between hazelbridge and alexandra gate/kwantlen) = huge headache trying to circle around (depending on area and street layout). remember, no u-turning in business districts :) Planning ahead so u enter via a right turn works sure, but shit happens, you might be out already and coming from a different direction.

Left turn lanes. Miss entrance to left turn lane (where broken white line is). Skipping the turn just to avoid changing lanes across the solid white (assuming it's safe to do so) = a waste of gas and time. People have places to be. Drive on lougheed hwy and I guarantee you'll be crossing the solid white to get into the left turn lanes (which are long as hell) unless u know beforehand what street it turns to while you're where the broken line is (100-200 ft before the intersection because these left turn lanes are LONG).

Broken down vehicle on a two-lane rd with double yellow. If you don't pass on the left you'll be waiting for god knows how long. I'm sorry but I have to get somewhere, so do the other drivers behind me. We don't have time to sit and chill for half an hour or longer.

hey maybe you will. Doesn't bother me really. I just won't be copying you.

Not trying to be a dick. But I have my reasons for believing that people won't change their behaviour.

^ plan your route better so you approach from a different street? you're right though, most people won't change bad habits, especially if they think the proper way to do things "is retarded"

or got sick of seeing people killed in headon collisions... my cousin was killed in a headon collision because some idiot tried to pass a semi over a double solid and "thought he could make it" (direct quote from what he said in court). I have also seen quite a few close calls involving people crossing double solids and they really are there for a reason. On a city street going 50k any collision wouldn't be too bad, but when you've got vehicles around the 110-120 range, bad things happen.

let me ask you this: what happens if a car is somehow stuck like this on a corner, so someone tries to cut by-right as a car comes around the corner. but the law had been changed to make crossing a double solid legal in some cases like this? that does not sound like a good idea. also, how often does a car come to a complete, dead stop instantly in the middle of the road? the car can *usually* coast off the road. and get at least mostly out of the way.

^
you're right about planning your route. But shit happens (I edited my post) and you could be coming from a different direction because you were already out. Many variables.

People have places to be. I can definitely understand why someone would break certain laws (like crossing white line to get into the left turn lane) so they don't waste time just because they missed the broken line section.

People are already breaking the law by speeding lol driving 60-70 depending on traffic flow. Most of these laws some ppl might think are "retarded" are relatively harmless to break provided you're not an idiot.

So what if it was a single yellow instead? There are plenty of two-lane roads that have curves and sharp corners. Your example could easily occur on roads with single yellows. The problem lies with passing around a corner, NOT passing on a double yellow. If it was a single yellow, passing on a corner is still illegal because it's not safe. If the government made passing on a double yellow legal, it would STILL be illegal to pass around a corner.
What I'm saying is, passing on a double yellow CAN be perfectly safe if you have good visibility. There will ALWAYS be morons, however, who can't pass safely who cause accidents. Double yellow or not.

yes but the places where double solids exist, are generally corners on places where it is bad to make a pass, or where you might think you have better visibility than you really do, especially when you are going from a dead stop behind a car. I have yet to see a double solid on a long straight that didn't have a bunch of hills or something. roads with double solids have been analyzed to see where bad spots exist, the roads with single solids haven't been analyzed as they're usually roads with less traffic. If you're in the situation with a stuck car on a busy enough road to warrant the double yellows, the best thing to do would probably be to call the police and wait and try to wave people down and alternate traffic around the car til the police arrive. If it's not busy call the cops anyways, and unless you have a rather powerful vehicle, back up while maintaining visibilty so you pass the car with some speed if you really must get by.

What you could do is keep driving until you can safely and legally make a left turn into a parking lot, turn around and head back in the direction you came from so you can make the original turn without crossing the yellow line.

Hang on.. given that the parking lot is part of the "highway", doing that would constitute a U-Turn and get you in just as much legal hot water.

Can't win.

Remember, two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights make a left.

School zones are good examples. Some streets in burnaby (like Parker, or gilmore) have double yellows by school zones. Well, when there is no school, and there's little traffic (which is usually the case on these streets), I don't see how it's any more dangerous to pass. You mentioned that usually the double yellows are around corners or hilly areas. Well therein lies the problem: hills and corners. I bet I can find you a street that is a single yellow that has hills and corners easily.
Anyway if only there aren't those few idiots out there who can't exercise good judgement on when it's safe to pass. These people just ruin it for everyone else.

Yep. Especially in richmond where there are so many parking lots with tons of restaurants and stores where you'd most likely be turning across the yellow to get into.

Yes. Now if only all streets in all areas are arranged like a grid. Then life would be much easier.

I realize this thread is pretty much dead. But someone's bound to search up this thread in the future so I'll just add:

The Superstore (grandview hwy) parking lot has a single broken yellow around the lot. Brentwood parking lot has a solid yellow. Taking superstore as an example, if this rule is to be followed to the T then driving through the superstore parking lot would be extremely inconvenient since pretty much all left turns from the main entrance are illegal. Superstore is part of the highway by definition and thus, turning across it is prohibited since you're not "leaving the highway". Same with other parking lots with a solid or broken yellow.

I thought about the layout of Superstore, and have determined that exiting via Rupert St (after parking near the store entrance) becomes impossible if this rule is to be followed to a T. You can't even turn left across the broken yellow to get to the gas bar! Sounds like fun.

Sure makes it seem like this law overlapping with the definition of a highway was an oversight. Something to think about for you folks who claim to follow all rules all the time :rolleyes:

...and two Wrights made an airplane, but that's another story entirely!

Yes, we've already covered that.