Road narrowingCanada
17. Road narrowing
A road narrowing is a section where the available width of the road or roadway becomes smaller. The narrowing may occur on both sides, on one side only, or because one or more traffic lanes end.
Drivers should reduce speed, observe approaching and adjacent traffic, maintain sufficient lateral clearance and merge when necessary. Warning signs do not always determine priority, so drivers must follow any right-of-way signs, lane markings and local traffic rules.
Wikimedia.org • Adam Moss • CC BY-SA
What does a road-narrowing warning mean in Canada?
In Ontario, the handbook includes a narrow-bridge warning and lane-related warnings. These describe hazards rather than giving a driver unrestricted right of way. Other Canadian provinces use their own rules.
Warning for a road narrowing.
English • Québec D-210-1 • Road narrows on both sides. The road narrows from both sides ahead.
Sources
🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org
🔗 Cdn-contenu.quebec.ca • Québec MTMD · Danger signs poster, April 2026, p. 1
SVG source: Transports Québec • Public domain • Original revision 2013-08-11. Wikimedia original unmodified.
Warning for a road narrowing on the left.
English • Québec D-210-2-G • Road narrows from the left. The road narrows from the left ahead.
Sources
🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org
🔗 Cdn-contenu.quebec.ca • Québec MTMD · Danger signs poster, April 2026, p. 1
SVG source: Transports Québec • Public domain • Original revision 2013-08-11. Wikimedia original unmodified.
Warning for a road narrowing on the right.
English • Québec D-210-2-D • Road narrows from the right. The road narrows from the right ahead.
Sources
🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org
🔗 Cdn-contenu.quebec.ca • Québec MTMD · Danger signs poster, April 2026, p. 1
SVG source: Transports Québec • Public domain • Original revision 2013-08-11. Wikimedia original unmodified.
Does a narrowing warning give you priority in Canada?
No. A warning describes the reduced width, rather than allocating priority or setting a numerical speed limit. Follow any separate priority signs, signals and meeting rules, and slow enough to pass safely or wait before entering.
What should you do if traffic lanes merge at a narrowing in Canada?
In Ontario, signal and change lanes only when there is a safe gap, following the lane-ending signs and markings. A narrowing warning does not itself give the ending lane priority; check the relevant provincial rules elsewhere.
🔗 ontario.ca • Ontario MTO — lane changes and restricted-visibility passing

Traffic rules
Canada