Thornhill - Bathurst And Clark - Disobeying Sign 182(2)
Hello everyone,
Wondering if I may have a case or argument for this.
Location: Bathurst and Clark.
Season: Winter 2008 / Snowing
I was driving from the 407 southbound down Bathurst St. I was approaching Clark and was in the very right lane needing to go to the Sunoco gas station, so I proceded through the intersection and was going to make the immidiate right into the gas station entrance, until I was stopped by an officer.
I was charged with Disobey Sign - 182(2) as there was a sign on Bathurst St. on the North side of Clark stating "RIGHT LANE MUST TURN RIGHT". The sign is posted / hung on a hydro pole, but several meters before the intersection.
If you drive from the right lane and cross the intersection, there's still a right lane, which includes a bus stop as well as the entrance to the gas station. This right lane ends and eventually merges with the left lane.
Second, I felt as if it would have been the safest approach to go to the gas station as if I had stayed in the left lane, gone through the intersection, it would have given me NO time at all to cut through 2 lanes to make it into the gas station, in which at the same time, a car driving east bound on clark, making a right turn could possibly strike a driver wanting to go to the gas station the "legal way".
Question, how far can a sign be posted to apply as a rule in a specific location? For example, I'm assuming that same sign can't be applied 1 km before that intersection for me to know that? So is there anywhere in the that states that?
Do I have any other argument for this? Regardless of the "safer approach to go to the gas station" I still disobeyed the sign posted across the intersection.
Anyone?