Quick query re. filtered traffic lights

[gazchap]

Picture the scenario. You are approaching a four-way traffic light controlled junction - at the stop line, the road in the direction you're travelling in has two lanes - one for left and straight ahead, the other for turning right.

The lights in front of you are filtered, so the first ones to go green are for straight ahead and left, and then shortly after the right-turn ones go green.

None of the other entrances to the junction have green lights while your entrance does.

If you are at the head of the queue in the right-turn lane, but change your mind about turning right and decide you want to go straight ahead instead, are you OK to move forward when the straight-ahead filter lights go green? (with suitable observations and indications where appropriate, of course)

Or, legally must you wait for the right-turn filter lights?

[Davie_GLA]

If you wait for the lights to turn you are expected by others to go right. If you decide you need to go straight or left and can do so safely then crack on. Not sure being in the wrong lane to do that is illegal though.

[speedking31]

Think of the converse position. If you were in the left lane and decided to turn right, could you do that when 'your' light turned green. Obviously not. Therefore the light is about the destination direction, not which lane you are in.

[stuart313]

gazchap said:

Picture the scenario. You are approaching a four-way traffic light controlled junction - at the stop line, the road in the direction you're travelling in has two lanes - one for left and straight ahead, the other for turning right.

The lights in front of you are filtered, so the first ones to go green are for straight ahead and left, and then shortly after the right-turn ones go green.

None of the other entrances to the junction have green lights while your entrance does.

If you are at the head of the queue in the right-turn lane, but change your mind about turning right and decide you want to go straight ahead instead, are you OK to move forward when the straight-ahead filter lights go green? (with suitable observations and indications where appropriate, of course)

Or, legally must you wait for the right-turn filter lights?

Or, There is a set of lights I use and the queue to go straight on and left is massive but hardly any-one turns right. As I'm obviously too important to queue up and not bothered about the moral argument, is it legal for me to waltz down the outside lane and then barge in at the front without getting a pull.

[Starfighter]

To be fair to the OP there are plant of junctions where only markings are on the road and it is easy to end up in the wrong lane.

The road markings will guide you. If it has the word ONLY then you have to complete Oy with the arrow. If not you can make the alternate turn if safe to do so. Some of the catch offences such as without due care and without consideration come in to play. If cought out signal and wait for a gap or someone to help you out.

[Mandat]

stuart313 said:

Or, There is a set of lights I use and the queue to go straight on and left is massive but hardly any-one turns right. As I'm obviously too important to queue up and not bothered about the moral argument, is it legal for me to waltz down the outside lane and then barge in at the front without getting a pull.

Do you need to barge in, rather than merging?

[rivercatch]

You can go straight ahead on the straight ahead green.

But if the right line is marked as turn right only (road sign: blue mandatory direction arrow, road sign: white/red may not go ahead, road marking: 'Turn Right Only' in words - a simple road marking with right arrow is advisory and not mandatory) then you will be committing an offence.

If you proceed straight ahead from the advisory turn right lane then you may have committed an offence if it is done dangerously or gains an advantage over other road users. This is very much in the judgement and discretion of the policemen who sees you doing it.

Opinion here: the 'advantage' piece seems recent and it's not clear (as in case law) what it really means. I think bombing down the right lane to avoid queing trafiic and doing a grand prix start probably counts.

I would guess that if the road continues with 4 lanes, or a least a continuing straight ahead lane from lane 4, so that you are not required to merge, that would be an indicator that it's OK in this case.

There was a spate of new stories on tickets for "inconsiderate" driving:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/11472113/...

[gazchap]

stuart313 said:

Or, There is a set of lights I use and the queue to go straight on and left is massive but hardly any-one turns right. As I'm obviously too important to queue up and not bothered about the moral argument, is it legal for me to waltz down the outside lane and then barge in at the front without getting a pull.

Or, the right-turn goes into Tesco and I changed my mind after seeing the huge queues of traffic waiting to come out and decided I didn't want to get caught in that much traffic when leaving Tesco, and instead wanted to drive ahead to the Morrisons further down the road.

But, you know, thanks for the judgment.

[Hol]

Agenuine mistake - in your scenario:

Indicate and wait for a safe gap in the traffic before changing lanes (usually where somebody sees you and leaves a bit of room on purpose).
Just remember, they have not made a mistake, and have right of way in that lane.

[gazchap]

Hol said:

Agenuine mistake - in your scenario:

Indicate and wait for a safe gap in the traffic before changing lanes (usually where somebody sees you and leaves a bit of room on purpose).
Just remember, they have not made a mistake, and have right of way in that lane.

Exactly what I did, I was more just curious as to the legal aspect.

The post above about imagining it the other way around, and thus seeing the lights as the direction of the destination rather than the direction of travel (as it were) was most helpul

[trashbat]

I could be wrong, but I believe that painted arrows on the road have no legal meaning, i.e. it's not an actual offence in itself to ignore them, although you might be done for falling below the standard of a reasonable driver.

If you don't turn right with the lights against you, and your manoeuvre is safe, I suspect you're OK. I still wouldn't do it with a police officer watching.

[Al U]

I expect the correct (and I'm not saying I would or do it) thing to do in a situation like this would be to turn right anyway. Then get back to the junction using whatever method is suitable based on the location and then get in the lane that goes the way you wanted to go when you changed your mind.

[3Dee]

If you find yourself on the rt lane of a two lane roundabout with arrows that bend right, then you are in for a very long journey... in circles!

- precaution: take your lunch and evening tea with you.

[gazchap]

Al U said:

I expect the correct (and I'm not saying I would or do it) thing to do in a situation like this would be to turn right anyway. Then get back to the junction using whatever method is suitable based on the location and then get in the lane that goes the way you wanted to go when you changed your mind.

I did consider this, but it would have meant joining the huge queue of traffic trying to leave Tesco so wouldn't really have made any difference.

Everything went off without a hitch anyway. I was indicating my intention to leave the lane well in advance of the lights changing - although it was the thought that even though I was intending to come back into the left hand lane, they may not have expected me to move until "my" lights changed to green that prompted the question.

[CallorFold]

Hol said:

Agenuine mistake - in your scenario:

Indicate and wait for a safe gap in the traffic before changing lanes (usually where somebody sees you and leaves a bit of room on purpose).
Just remember, they have not made a mistake, and have right of way in that lane.

Very sensible

[Oakey]

Don't do what the dhead waiting in the lane to turn left did to me, which was to just pull across the front of me without indicating when my lights turned green.