Turning right onto a yellow box

**Timbuk2**

Imagine I'm on a T road, and I want to turn right (onto the main road) and there is a yellow box where these roads meet.

If traffic is at a standstill in the direction I want to turn, but the yellow box is free (because traffic either stops before or after the yellow box) can I drive onto that yellow box, stop, and wait until traffic starts moving again (thus getting in front of the car that stopped before it)? Often cars would 'wave' or flash their lights to say go ahead, but I'm wondering what the legality is - technically I'm still stopping on a yellow box junction that way.

challengemaster

That's kinda what the yellow box is there for

**Timbuk2**

I always figured they were for letting traffic get onto the minor road, as opposed to letting traffic get out.

I always thought the rule was that you should only enter a yellow box junction if you can clear it without stopping, unless waiting for a gap to turn right providing you're not blocking traffic which has right of way. In which case I'd be entering a yellow box, knowing that I can't clear it, and stopping! Intuitively it seems like it should be allowed, but I'm not sure what the viewpoint is from a legal position.

challengemaster

Excuse the bad drawing....



I assume it's something like this?

If you were leaving the minor road, and turning right there... and needed to sit in the yellow box while waiting for a break in traffic?

I've always taken the 'don't enter a yellow box unless you can clear it' as only applying to cars going the same direction or on the long side to the box.... (ie. not through it's width - if that makes sense)


Basically I see a yellow box as a way of controlling manners on the road... not allowing people to block it leaves space for cars to exit minor roads, where they may be waiting forever to actually be let out. As such, I'd assume that sitting in the yellow box while waiting for a gap in traffic to move into is actually fulfilling it's purpose and thus not breaking any rules - but we'll wait and see ADIdriving / permabears take on it

**Timbuk2**

Thanks for the answer and the drawing!

Yea that's what I meant, but I also mean on some junctions the yellow box extends to both sides of the road. So if I want to turn right, and traffic is stopped on the side of the road where I want to end up on, can I just go in the middle of the two cars (immediately before and after) the yellow box, even though I know I will be stopped (because traffic isn't moving, e.g. at red lights or a level crossing).

Your answer makes perfect sense, and I would imagine that's what yellow boxes are designed for. I would post a picture but I'm on a laptop and I can't draw anything with this touchpad yoke! I can draw a picture if I'm on one of the UCD computers today. So this image will have to do in the meantime !

challengemaster

**Timbuk2** wrote: »

Yea that's what I meant, but I also mean on some junctions the yellow box extends to both sides of the road. So if I want to turn right, and traffic is stopped on the side of the road where I want to end up on, can I just go in the middle of the two cars (immediately before and after) the yellow box, even though I know I will be stopped (because traffic isn't moving, e.g. at red lights or a level crossing).

Yup. There's a semi-perfect example of this in galway - Here's a view from google streetview

again, only covers one side of the road, but it's the far side (which you seem concerned about) - but it's obvious from the design and road layout that the box is there for cars exiting the minor road to use

**Timbuk2**

Yes, that google streetview is exactly what I mean! Thanks for the replies, they were very helpful!

I'm 99% sure I actually drove on that stretch of road when we were in Galway last summer - we were coming from the university, driving to where my dad used to live in digs years ago (he went to what was then UCG).

challengemaster

Well the wall to the left is the surrounding wall of the university, so it's highly likely

Glad it helped

loobylou

If, as I think you suggest, the yellow box covers both sides of the road you wish to emerge right into, the best thing to do would be to wait until a car from your left stops before the box, thereby blocking access.
In this situation it would be acceptable for you to move forward into the box, provided doing so would not obstruct traffic coming from the opposite direction.