Do you know which lines you’re allowed to cross while driving? If not, it could cost you more than $100.
Under the Motor Vehicle Act (MVA), drivers caught changing lanes or merging over a solid line face a fine of $109 and two demerit points on their licence, said Const. Markus Anastasiades, public information officer for the Saanich Police Department.
“These [lines] should be treated like a traffic control device and should not be crossed until the solid line turns to a broken line,” he said. It’s a violation they often see while drivers are merging onto a highway.
#DYK it is an offense to change lanes over a solid line, including moving into or out of HOV lane? Change lane over solid line = $109 + 2 points #TicketTuesday pic.twitter.com/s2AMXMAwxa
— BC RCMP Traffic (@BCRCMPTraffic) January 19, 2021
According to the ICBC Learn to Drive Smart manual yellow lines divide traffic that’s headed in opposite directions while white painted lines mark lanes for traffic heading in the same direction. Drivers are permitted to cross a single, solid yellow line when it’s safe, but cannot change lanes over the solid white line – even if they are entering or exiting a High Occupancy Vehicle lane.
In Saanich, police have issued an average of five tickets per year since 2018 to drivers for changing lanes over a solid line.
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