Turning right on a red?

[Justintime]

I was just turning right on a junction about half hour ago, the lights were green when i went over, there was a van in front of me so i had to wait a little, by the time the van cleared (due to to no oncoming traffic) it turned red, now i was bang middle in the junction.. there was a panda car at the now red light facing me, had no choice but to go imo as traffic was moving onto the side of me! all of a sudden he started tooting his horn and yelled "what're you doing??" I raised my hand and said sorry and kept on going.. he did'nt follow or pull me.. i thought what i did was legal??


thanks for any replies.

 

[LizardKing]

only enter a junction if the exit is clear

 

[big_white_dog84]

Your average policeman has neither a superior knowledge on traffic laws nor any more common sense than you do. In fact I'd suggest the opposite was true.

 

[TheVoice]

Was the van turning right too? I was told by my driving instructor that if there's enough room between the car in front and the stop line, then go across and wait for it to clear. If you're behind the line then obviously you can't go because you'd be contravening a red light.

 

[phil675]

I was told that if I was in the middle then I was in the way so people waiting can't go unless I go anyway.

 

[Swordfish]

only enter a junction if the exit is clear

This

 

[Lopéz]

You should not have crossed the line behind the van in the first place. My best mate failed his driving test many years ago for doing exactly what you did (crossing the path of oncoming traffic I think they call it), he was gutted at the time because he was so confident of passing.

Never enter a junction unless you have a clear exit.

 

[Justintime]

Yes the van was turning right. Fair enough i proably was in the wrong just never been pulled up on it and have been driving for a decade or so Did seem odd that he made such a fuss about it imo as i clearly could'nt reverse back in (people behind me now) and had to go. I was way beyond the line and went on green, the junction is so busy i think a filter light would be a good idea!

 

[Dogbreath]

Never enter a junction unless you have a clear exit.

Unless turning right and oncoming traffic is preventing you! Shouldn't enter it if there is already a car waiting to turn right though.

 

[munge]

If there are no yellow hatches (i.e. a box junction) you are entitled to wait in a queue in a junction. It's perfectly legal. It's not good driving though to sit in a junction where you could potentially block other traffic whilst you can't go anywhere (IMO that should be a hanging offence! ). Once over the solid white line and into the junction, you are allowed to continue.

And the Panda driver is guilty of inappropriate use of the horn!

Having just done the Police Standard Driving course, there are a lot of Police Officers who know bugger all about traffic law - I assume by Panda you mean small Police Car?

 

[Puzzled]

I hate busy junctions without a right turn filter light, you just get stuck in the middle for ages until a gap finally appears.

If you had to wait back at the lights for a gap to appear you would never be able to turn on some of these junctions.

 

[benneh]

You should not have crossed the line behind the van in the first place. My best mate failed his driving test many years ago for doing exactly what you did (crossing the path of oncoming traffic I think they call it), he was gutted at the time because he was so confident of passing.

Never enter a junction unless you have a clear exit.

At a busy junction wouldn't you just spend 5 hours waiting at the white line though?.

 

[Hate]

Only in certain parts of America can you turn right on a red, I think.

Definately not over here.

 

[IAmATeaf]

You should not have crossed the line behind the van in the first place. My best mate failed his driving test many years ago for doing exactly what you did (crossing the path of oncoming traffic I think they call it), he was gutted at the time because he was so confident of passing.

Never enter a junction unless you have a clear exit.

Unless the junction was hatched I've always moved across the white line if there's enough space. If you waited behind the white line then wouldn't that cause chaos as in traffic nobody would be able to turn right.

 

[leaskovski]

only enter a junction if the exit is clear

What if there is a marked space for you to wait? Eg, a right turning box in the middle of the road and the area is not marked with hashed yellow lines.

Also, how manay people take this into account on a a large roundabout?? hmmm

 

[Lopéz]

Unless the junction was hatched I've always moved across the white line if there's enough space. If you waited behind the white line then wouldn't that cause chaos as in traffic nobody would be able to turn right.

Problem is, when it's a big junction 3 or 4 cars pile over the white line, all turning right. If there isn't a filter then the lights are going to go green the other side but nobody will be able to go because you are all still in waiting to turn right.

 

[Sugar Free]

But when the lights go red for you, the lights for the opposing traffic that is stopping you turning right will also go red. Meaning you can get those 3 or 4 cars out of the junction before the lights go green for the perpendicular traffic.

Well maybe a few seconds after they go green...

 

[timbob]

My driving instructor taught me to do that (in regular driving, not on the test)... Pull into the junction, wait for oncoming traffic to clear, then quickly pull across as it changes onto red, before the other lights have changed to green.

There's one particular junction in Bedford where you just have to do this, else only a single car will get through on every light cycle, and you'd be waiting for half an hour to get through the junction.

 

[Peño]

I was always told by my instructor that if you're the third car queuing to turn right facing oncoming traffic, you wait behind the line.

 

[Glaucus]

If you don't cross the line and wait for a gap. you would be sit there until the traffic died down.