Rules of the Road and Traffic Law
The core rules
- Speed: 50 km/h in built-up areas and 80 km/h on most rural provincial highways unless signs say otherwise; 30 km/h in school zones when children are present. You must also drive at a speed safe for conditions even when that is below the limit.
- Keep right: drive in the right lane except when passing, turning left, or where lanes are marked for other uses.
- Passing: pass on the left, signal, check mirrors and blind spot, and do not return to the right lane until you can see the passed vehicle in your mirror.
- Signalling: signal every turn and lane change, early enough to be useful to others.
- Stopping: a stop sign means a full stop at the stop line, crosswalk or edge of the roadway - not a slow roll.
- Right on red: permitted after a complete stop unless a sign prohibits it, and only after yielding to pedestrians and cross traffic.
- Emergency vehicles: when a fire truck, ambulance or police car approaches with lights and siren, pull as far right as possible and stop.
- Move-over: when passing a stopped emergency or tow vehicle with lights flashing on a highway, change lanes, or slow to 60 km/h if you cannot.
- School buses: stop for a bus with red lights flashing, in both directions, unless you are on the opposite side of a divided highway with a median.
- Seat belts: every occupant must be belted, and children must use the correct child seat or booster.
Worked example
A school bus stops ahead on a two-lane road with its red lights flashing. You must stop in both directions and wait until the lights stop, even if no child is visible. On a divided highway, traffic on the far side of the median does not stop.
Traps that cost marks
- Passing a stopped school bus on an undivided road.
- Turning right on red without a full stop.
- Ignoring the move-over law for tow trucks.