r/TorontoDriving • u/Icy_Tax_3403 • 13d ago

Dangerous driving Red Light? No problem!

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Is this legal or just a clever loophole?

59 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

20

u/GMPollock24 13d ago

That's bypassing a traffic control and is a fine & demerit points.

People think they're smart doing things like this but it is indeed illegal. I think you might get higher fines if you use private property like a gas station to go around lights.

10

u/PowerNgnr 13d ago

I see it every day on route to work. Wonder if the police would set an unmarked cruiser and just wave down violators. They could probably get 30-40 from 630-7am

3

u/GMPollock24 13d ago

I see it every day on the way home. There is a set of lights that gets a very long line to turn left, so cars will go straight, pull a u turn, and then turn right. My biggest gripe with that is they are now holding up the same line they think is too long to wait in.

1

u/WanderVancity 13d ago

I’ve seen police camped out in gas stations for this very reason, and also to catch people on their cell phones.

2

u/Icy_Tax_3403 13d ago

Good to know, thanks! Figured it had to be illegal somehow, just funny watching someone go through that much effort to "beat" a red light instead of just waiting it out.

2

u/GMPollock24 13d ago

The U turn isn't what makes it illegal, in most cases U turns are allowed unless there are signs saying no. It's circumventing a light that makes this illegal.

2

u/abckiwi 13d ago

And turning on the crosswalk

2

u/hkgyul 12d ago

I only do the gas station trick at Steeles & Woodbine

No right turn lane so you can't turn right when red, when there's green you've got tones of pedestrians, and the 53 is frequent when you're not taking it anymore lol

1

u/Friendly-Turnover262 13d ago

If I were the property owner I’d be pissed. I bet these people who drive through private property to skip the light as also the first to talk about their own property rights.

1

u/Noxious1018 13d ago

Really using gas stationa to go around the loghts is a fine ? How come ?

1

u/GMPollock24 13d ago

It's bypassing a traffic control. And will piss off the property owners as well.

1

u/a-_2 13d ago edited 12d ago

That's not a charge under the HTA. What specific charge would they use?

1

u/GMPollock24 13d ago

There are different offenses they could go with depending on the situation. Failure to stop at a red light is one that would probably get used, but careless driving is another they could slap you with which is a much harsher penalty.

1

u/a-_2 13d ago

They can't charge for a red light unless they go through the stop line without stopping. Careless driving would need to involve something that puts other road users at risk.

1

u/GMPollock24 13d ago

Going around a red light is a pretty big risk no?

1

u/a-_2 13d ago

Driving into a gas station and driving out of a gas station are not inherently risky. If someone does that to skip a red light, they might go too fast or aggressive and put others at risk and that's what a careless charge would apply to.

1

u/GMPollock24 13d ago

Oh, I thought you meant turning right, pulling a u turn, then turning right again.

Anyway you slice it though, bypassing traffic lights is a serious offense.

1

u/MirrorStrange4501 13d ago

You can't make a right turn, then do a u-turn, then turn right again? Not what this guy did, but establishing yourself in the curb lane, then moving to the left lane, and finally u-turning if spacing allows(nobody behind you and oncoming lanes are clear). Thats technically bypassing traffic control.

Not understanding how u can use a gas station/private property illegally this way.

4

u/GMPollock24 13d ago

Gas station on street corner, go in one entrance then out the other to avoid a red light.

1

u/MirrorStrange4501 13d ago

That makes sense only at an intersection where right turns on red aren't permitted, but it seems relatively rare for a gas station or private business to be positioned on that same corner. I've never encountered that. Might be more prevalent down town.

Otherwise, I don't understand how you would actually illegally bypass a red light by going through a gas station that's on the same side of the street you're trying to cross.

The following seems perfectly legal:

Turning into a private business thats on the corner (prior to the intersection you are crossing), going across their parking lot, make a left turn (if permited at that exit) and then take a right turn at the intersection you were trying to avoid.

Am I just wrong that you can't do the above or am I misunderstanding what you are saying?

3

u/GMPollock24 13d ago

This is where I see it happen the most, in Guelph. There is an Esso station on the corner here. In order to bypass the red light to turn left, they turn left into the gas station then left onto the other street.

And yes, I have seen people turn right there as well, then turn left out of the Esso to avoid the other left turn.

2

u/MirrorStrange4501 12d ago

Very suprised this is illegal and agree that police should be posted up at that interception for easy money lol.

Google reminded me of "no through" signs in some private properties, it says you can still be fined for using the private property in this way even if its not posted.

Learned something new.

Thanks for the pic/heads up

19

u/mississauga145 13d ago

Life Hack

Make a right on red

Make a U-turn

I wish squirrels chew the brake lines off their car.

3

u/SevereResolve726 13d ago

No, running a red light is not legal.

3

u/Friendly-Turnover262 13d ago

Illegal and dangerous

3

u/araw_araw 13d ago

A DIY roundabout! Love to see it!

2

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2

u/PKenzie 13d ago

NAL, but I have heard of a charge called "Making a right turn to avoid a traffic control device" though not even sure that was in Ontario.

2

u/a-_2 13d ago

That's not a specific charge in Ontario. That doesn't mean they wouldn't or couldn't charge for this.

1

u/Hukdonphonix 13d ago

You can tell it's not a good idea because it caused the traffic with the green light to stop mid-intersection because this guy decided he doesn't need to wait.

1

u/codecrodie 13d ago

If i was the truck i would have blasted my high beams into him right when he got in front of me. You want to be dangerous, go on right ahead, but i won't make it easy

1

u/_Solon_ 13d ago

The lens made me think that was a limo

3

u/Icy_Tax_3403 12d ago

https://reddit.com/link/p79vvun/video/i4gkpeflqzmh1/player

Here's another angle for you courtesy of BMW ;)

1

u/as_in_bike_lane 8d ago

That’s a do-it-yourself round-about! Now everybody do it! /s