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Police cracking down on motorists making illegal U-turns to access Don Valley Parkway

canada-man

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Jun 16, 2007
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A collision on Tuesday morning has brought the spotlight to a larger traffic problem on Don Mills Road due to ongoing construction on the Don Valley Parkway.

Drivers heading northbound on Don Mills Road are currently not able to get onto the DVP southbound because the on-ramp is closed.

Instead, motorists are going past the closed on-ramp and are making an illegal U-turn so they can drive southbound on Don Mills Road.

Drivers can then access the open on-ramp to the DVP southbound.

Police say the risky U-turns have caused many near-misses and at least one collision.

“It’s actually quite dangerous and against the highway traffic act,” Inspector Jim Gotell told CTV News Toronto this morning.

“We’re seeing northbound Don Mills vehicles trying to get on the southbound DVP and they’re doing U-turns to access the DVP on ramp.”

Drivers were also seen making U-turns just north at Taylor Creek Park Road. It was causing some traffic tie ups, but police say it is legal.

“I just got a $200 ticket,” one driver named Mario, who was busted by police making the illegal U-turn, said.

“There are no signs posted so how was I to know?”

Police suggest making the turn further up at Gateway Boulevard, which they say is safer way of accessing the DVP until the southbound ramp reopens.

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/police-c...-turns-to-access-don-valley-parkway-1.4547248
 

Phil C. McNasty

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Dec 27, 2010
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If there are no signs, how can someone get a ticket?
From the article: “It’s actually quite dangerous and against the highway traffic act".

Lots of things are illegal in the HTA but not posted on signs, ignorance of the law is not a defense
 

oldjones

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Aug 18, 2001
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From a Globe and Mail article on U-turns (and there's more):

"At an intersection, it might say, 'No U-turns,'" said Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, with the Ontario Provincial Police Highway Safety Division. "But otherwise, as long as it's safe – as long as it's not on a blind corner, a crest of a hill of in front of a railway crossing – you can do them."

Section 143 of Ontario's Highway Traffic Act (HTA) provides the specific restrictions; violations result in a $110 fine, including fees, plus two demerit points. In 2015, there were 119 violations in Ontario, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) said in an e-mail.

Otherwise, you can make U-turns at intersections or in between intersections, as long as you signal and make them safely.

"You can't interfere with any traffic that may be approaching – if you do you may be charged with other offences, although not necessarily the U-turn offence," said Const. Clint Stibbe, with Toronto Police Traffic Services.

Two other sections of the HTA – section 141 and 142 – "stress the responsibility of all drivers to ensure that they make safe driving decisions when making turns," the MTO said.


I bolded the bit that I suspect the cops are applying. That's always a busy section of Don Mills Road, because it's one of the scarce bridges across the Don, as well as one of the scarce accesses from the East end to the DVP-Gardiner into and across downtown. Worse now with the construction.
 

rhuarc29

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Apr 15, 2009
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If there are no signs, how can someone get a ticket?
While it is legal to make a U-turn anywhere a sign is not posted expressly forbidding it, police have a lot of leeway in determining any kind of unsafe driving. If your U-turn impedes traffic or is construed as unsafe, you can still be ticketed.
That's my understanding, anyway.
 

GameBoy27

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Nov 23, 2004
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While it is legal to make a U-turn anywhere a sign is not posted expressly forbidding it, police have a lot of leeway in determining any kind of unsafe driving. If your U-turn impedes traffic or is construed as unsafe, you can still be ticketed.
That's my understanding, anyway.
Pretty much ^^^

Similarly, you're allowed to change lanes on a roadway, but if you do it in an unsafe manner (Eg. forcing a vehicle to avoid a collision) then you can be issued a ticket for unsafe lane change.

That's what they're talking about here. If you do a U-turn on the the straight part of Don Mills with no other cars around, you won't get a ticket. You do it on at the bottom on the curved part with vehicles approaching, they'll ding you.
 
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TeeJay

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Jun 20, 2011
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If there are no signs, how can someone get a ticket?
Um S 143?

For that matter why can they give a ticket for using a cell phone? I didn't see a sign!
lol

While it is legal to make a U-turn anywhere a sign is not posted expressly forbidding it, police have a lot of leeway in determining any kind of unsafe driving. If your U-turn impedes traffic or is construed as unsafe, you can still be ticketed.
That's my understanding, anyway.
WHAT???
No if you read the code there are many exceptions where it is prohibited
 

Phil C. McNasty

Go Jays Go
Dec 27, 2010
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If there are no signs, how can someone get a ticket?
Hey Jess, why dont you try and make a U-turn in the middle of the 401, since.....well.......there are no signs :biggrin1:
 
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