Have I made a mistake then?
What was I supposed to do? Might have gone through a red light
- Thread starter tacticalx86
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Soldato
I mean I would have committed to the turn earlier myself (further forward after the van goes) or have waited back behind the pedestrian crossing just in case the lights changed. You weren't stationary in the yellow box which is specifically the law we're discussing right? You cleared it asap.
You're fine, you know what you'd do differently next time and like 30 people here have told you you're golden.
Edit: specifically you haven't broken a law, the rest is just opinion on how to handle the situation you were in.
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Commissario
No, listen to what everyone is telling you, you're perfectly fine, just forget about it and move on with your life.
Soldato
Might as well throw in my "you're fine" as well, but to answer "what was I supposed to do?" In future you should be moving forward to a position ready to make the turn (i.e. where the van was sitting) after the vehicle in front has moved*. That would remove all ambiguity as to whether you cleared the stop line when the light was on green/red (and also mean you are able to clear the junction quicker in scenarios such as your video).
* assuming your exit is clear - the highway code entry (174) for box junctions does not prohibit stopping in the junction, it only states you MUST NOT enter if your exit is not clear, and also include the advice that "you may enter the box and wait when you want to turn right, and are only stopped from doing so by oncoming traffic, or by other vehicles waiting to turn right."
* assuming your exit is clear - the highway code entry (174) for box junctions does not prohibit stopping in the junction, it only states you MUST NOT enter if your exit is not clear, and also include the advice that "you may enter the box and wait when you want to turn right, and are only stopped from doing so by oncoming traffic, or by other vehicles waiting to turn right."
Soldato
Only been driving for a year. Thats why you are worried OP. Dont panic.
Wait until you been driving as long as i have! Over 36 years!!
Wait until you been driving as long as i have! Over 36 years!!
Not entirely accurate as shown above. Whilst the OP did nothing wrong he could have entered the Box Junction further, As the van had.The white line. The yellow box is a boxed junction and standing in one can net you a nice fine too, so stay out
Regarding a Red light offence, An offence is committed if ANY part of the vehicle crossed the stop line after the Red light is shown. But the OP's back end was well clear... Unless he was in a LWB sprinter with a trailer
You can enter and stop in a yellow box junction if you're turning right meaning you'll cross traffic. See link on first page to relevant highway code rule.
Soldato
I didn't dispute that
Nobody in that video did anything wrong in my opinion and for what the Highway code says.
You MUST NOT enter the box until your exit road or lane is clear. However, you may enter the box and wait when you want to turn right, and are only stopped from doing so by oncoming traffic, or by other vehicles waiting to turn right.
It looked like you tried to stay out of the box but you would have been fine inside the box or just outside it like you did.
The light was green when you crossed the white line and was waiting to turn right. It changed to red whike you were waiting to turn right and was blocked by on coming traffic and NOT traffic backed up where you wanted to turn right which would maybe be a fine or a talking to.
The only time anyone would be in trouble there is if you were all going straight on and waited in the box OR the road you wanted to turn down was full so you'd be stuck in the box or block the road.
The lights at that junction should be set to give more time between changes to allow for people in the yellow box to turn right when the oncoming traffic stops flowing. I agree with a previous posted though and this is where you get muppets jumping the red and that buffer you get in the box turning right is gone.
You MUST NOT enter the box until your exit road or lane is clear. However, you may enter the box and wait when you want to turn right, and are only stopped from doing so by oncoming traffic, or by other vehicles waiting to turn right.
It looked like you tried to stay out of the box but you would have been fine inside the box or just outside it like you did.
The light was green when you crossed the white line and was waiting to turn right. It changed to red whike you were waiting to turn right and was blocked by on coming traffic and NOT traffic backed up where you wanted to turn right which would maybe be a fine or a talking to.
The only time anyone would be in trouble there is if you were all going straight on and waited in the box OR the road you wanted to turn down was full so you'd be stuck in the box or block the road.
The lights at that junction should be set to give more time between changes to allow for people in the yellow box to turn right when the oncoming traffic stops flowing. I agree with a previous posted though and this is where you get muppets jumping the red and that buffer you get in the box turning right is gone.