A defendant was charged with disobeying a "No U-Turn" traffic sign contrary to section 182(2) of the Highway Traffic Act after making a left turn into a private driveway and executing a three-point turn to proceed in the opposite direction on a public roadway.
The defendant argued that a three-point turn using a private driveway does not constitute a U-Turn and that the Highway Traffic Act does not apply to maneuvers on private property.
The court adopted a broad, purposive interpretation of "U-Turn" under public welfare legislation principles and held that a three-point turn, whether accomplished in one continuous movement or not, and whether partly using private property, constitutes a prohibited U-Turn when the vehicle's purpose is to proceed in the opposite direction.
The defendant was convicted.
