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Traffic lights, U-turns and overhead lane controls

Traffic lights control the flow of vehicles and pedestrians to ameliorate safe and access to roads. Yous should drive at a speed that gives you lot fourth dimension to react if the traffic lights change.

If you go through a xanthous or ruby traffic calorie-free, you may receive an infringement notice. The notice could either be from a police officer or get in in the postal service for a camera-detected offence.

You lot may drive through a flashing yellow light or pointer with caution. You need to employ the give manner rules to avoid colliding with other vehicles.

Obeying traffic lights

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Traffic lights showing the red light lit up

Red traffic light

Y'all must not drive past the stop line on the route at a crimson traffic light or, if there is no stop line, the traffic light.

Example of red traffic low-cal—with the top light lit up

Traffic lights showing the red arrow lit up

Examples of ruby-red arrows

You must not drive in the direction of the red traffic arrow past the end line at the traffic calorie-free or, if there is no stop line, the traffic low-cal.

Instance of red arrows on traffic lights—with arrows lit up in the peak light to the right

Stop if information technology is safe to practise then

Traffic lights showing the yellow light lit up

Yellow traffic light

You must stop on a yellow low-cal, unless it is unsafe to exercise so. The xanthous light is not the terminate of the greenish lite phase—information technology is the beginning of the cerise light stage.

If information technology's safe to terminate, you must non drive past the stop line at the yellow traffic low-cal or, if at that place is no stop line, the traffic lite.

Instance of xanthous traffic calorie-free—with the middle light lit upward

Traffic lights showing the yellow arrow lit up

Examples of yellow arrows

If it'south unsafe to cease—such as being shut to the lite when it changes from green to yellow—you may continue through the yellow light.

Example of xanthous arrows on traffic lights—with arrows lit up in the heart lights on the correct

Drive with circumspection

Drive by the light

Traffic lights showing the green light and green arrow lit up

Green light or arrow

You can drive past the green traffic light or arrow, equally long equally the intersection is articulate. You must not enter the intersection if you cannot drive through it considering the road ahead is blocked.

Example of green traffic light or arrow—the green light is lit up in the bottom left, with the light-green arrow lit upwards in the bottom right.

Traffic lights showing a white B light

Traffic lights showing the white B light lit up

White B light

If y'all're in a jitney lane driving a bus, taxi, limousine, or riding a wheel, you may drive/ride past the white B low-cal.

Example of white B light—with the white B lit up in the bottom right

Turning correct at traffic lights

If the light is greenish and there are vehicles approaching from the opposite management, you tin motility frontwards into the intersection past the terminate line if you can practise and then safely.

If at that place is a safe gap in oncoming traffic, you may complete the correct plow. If yous're in the intersection and the oncoming traffic continues until the lights plow yellow or cerise, you must complete the turn on the yellow or carmine light.

Video of yellow traffic lights

Sentinel the video to amend sympathise yellowish traffic lights.

Some people call back it'southward legal to drive through a yellow calorie-free if your front tyres are over the stop line before the light changes to red.

But, that's not the dominion.

It's only legal to drive through a xanthous light if you are unable to stop safely when the light changes.

You lot see, the yellowish light is non an extension of the green calorie-free, it'south really the get-go of the red.

So when you approach traffic lights, you should ever be prepared to stop in case the lite all of a sudden changes. And you lot should cheque your rear view mirror for vehicles travelling close backside. If the calorie-free turns yellow, you lot must stop if it'southward safe to do so.

Nonetheless, if you're then shut to the intersection when the low-cal changes that you are unable to stop safely, you are legally allowed to drive through the yellow lite.

Now, if the calorie-free changes to yellowish after you've moved into an intersection waiting to turn right, you are also legally immune to drive through the yellow light to clear the intersection.

Knowing the rules makes travelling through intersections much safer for everyone.

U-turns

You can only make a U-plough at the following locations when there is a U-plough permitted sign.

  • traffic lights
  • children'due south crossings
  • level crossings
  • marked pes crossings
  • pedestrian crossings.

A car making a U-turn at a pedestrian crossing, going back the same direction it came from

A vehicle making a U-turn at a pedestrian crossing where there is no U-turn permitted sign displayed

A car making a U-turn at a marked foot crossing, going back the same direction it came from

A vehicle making a U-turn at a marked foot crossing where in that location is no U-turn permitted sign displayed

A car making a U-turn at a level crossing, going back the same direction it came from

A vehicle making a U-turn at a level crossing where there is no U-turn permitted sign displayed

A car making a U-turn at a childrens crossing, going back the same direction it came from

A vehicle making a U-turn at a children's crossing where there is no U-turn permitted sign displayed

When you are doing a U-turn, yous must give fashion to all other vehicles and pedestrians—fifty-fifty if other vehicles are facing a give style or stop sign.

At intersections without traffic lights or at breaks in the centre island of the road, you lot must non exercise a U-turn if at that place is a no U-turn sign.

You must besides not do a U-plough:

  • across a single or double continuous centre line
  • across a continuous centre line to the left of a broken line
  • over a painted isle in the centre of the route.

Making a U-turn

A car making a U-turn at a T-intersection, going back the same direction it came from

A vehicle making a U-plow at a T-intersection

A car making a U-turn in a single lane, going back the same direction it came from

A vehicle making a U-turn in a single lane

To safely make a U-turn, you must:

  • accept a clear view of approaching traffic
  • consummate the plow without blocking the free motion of traffic
  • requite way to all vehicles and pedestrians.

Video of U-turn rules

Watch the video to meliorate empathise the rules of U-turns.

You lot may call back you can do a U-plough at traffic lights if there'southward no sign to say you can't.

Merely, that's not the rule.

Information technology'due south actually illegal to practise a U-turn at traffic lights unless there is a sign telling you that you can practice and so.

Information technology'southward also illegal to do a U-plow at children's crossings, level crossings, marked foot crossings or pedestrian crossings unless there is a sign telling you that you lot can do so.

Lastly, It's illegal to do a U-turn:

  • across a continuous single heart line
  • across double continuous center lines
  • across a double line that'south continuous on your side of the route
  • across a painted island
  • at a place which displays a no U-turn sign.

So, what'due south the legal manner to practise a U-plow?

Well, you must give way to all other vehicles, even to vehicles facing a stop or give way sign. Yous must requite way to pedestrians besides, and then make your plough when all is clear.

It's simple to do a legal U-turn when you know the rules.

Overhead lane control devices

You must not travel in a lane marked with an illuminated cherry diagonal cantankerous or pass a traffic sign above a lane displaying a reddish diagonal cross.

Overhead lane control devices with cars in their lanes

Example of an overhead lane control device

If an illuminated red diagonal cross is flashing higher up your lane, you must leave the lane as soon as information technology's safe to practise then.

If at that place is an overhead lane command device above the road, you can drive in a lane if at that place's a:

  • white, green or yellowish arrow pointing downwards—or in a detail direction—to a higher place the lane
  • speed limit sign higher up the lane.
Last updated:
twenty Jan 2022