What to do when filter light is off?

heyhay

Hi guys, I'm confused. Could you help me? I can't attach links so I'll try to describe as clearly as possible:

Im on a T junction stopped at the light post. On my side of the road there are two lanes, one painted with a turn left arrow, the other with a turn right arrow.

The traffic light post has two columns of lights. The left column can be red, a green arrow to the left, or off altogether. The right column has a standard red, amber, green.

I am on the turn left lane, and want to turn left. Can I go through to the left:

1. When the left column is not showing any lights on, but the right column shows green?
2. When the left column is not showing any lights on, but the right column shows red?
3. Supposing a slightly different case, what about when the left column is not showing any lights on, but the right column shows a green arrow to the right?

Thanks!

GreatDefector

heyhay wrote: »

Hi guys, I'm confused. Could you help me? I can't attach links so I'll try to describe as clearly as possible:

Im on a T junction stopped at the light post. On my side of the road there are two lanes, one painted with a turn left arrow, the other with a turn right arrow.

The traffic light post has two columns of lights. The left column can be red, a green arrow to the left, or off altogether. The right column has a standard red, amber, green.

I am on the turn left lane, and want to turn left. Can I go through to the left:

1. When the left column is not showing any lights on, but the right column shows green?
2. When the left column is not showing any lights on, but the right column shows red?
3. Supposing a slightly different case, what about when the left column is not showing any lights on, but the right column shows a green arrow to the right?

Thanks!

1. Yes (green circle means go in all directions)

2. No. It's a red light for that junction at that time

3. Green arrow means go but only for that direction. If there's an arrow AND circle green together you can go in all directions (usually the arrow is a courtesy/filter used in heavy traffic areas)

spurious

heyhay wrote: »

I am on the turn left lane, and want to turn left. Can I go through to the left:

1. When the left column is not showing any lights on, but the right column shows green?

Yes you can turn both directions.

heyhay wrote: »

2. When the left column is not showing any lights on, but the right column shows red?

Do not move in either direction.

heyhay wrote: »

3. Supposing a slightly different case, what about when the left column is not showing any lights on, but the right column shows a green arrow to the right?

You can only turn right.

heyhay

Ahhh I see. I remember watching a junction like that for a while and I was confused about the green arrow and circle, and then the red circle on the left set which only came on for like 1 second to be followed by I think the right circle going on as the left red light turned off. Maybe when there's heavier traffic the cycle times are different.

eeguy

heyhay wrote: »

Ahhh I see. I remember watching a junction like that for a while and I was confused about the green arrow and circle, and then the red circle on the left set which only came on for like 1 second to be followed by I think the right circle going on as the left red light turned off. Maybe when there's heavier traffic the cycle times are different.

Yep, so what happened there is the filter light let everyone turning left move off, while those turning right were stopped by the red circle light.

When the green circle light turns on they just keep the filter light on too, less confusion for those watching it on the approach to the left turn.

doolox

A left arrow means ONLY traffic in the left lane marked with a left only arrow can move and can ONLY turn left.

A right arrow, usually in the right set of lights, means that ONLY traffic in the right lane and intending to go right can move. They can move because usually the traffic opposite them will be stopped on a red, watch out for red light jumpers because the instruction of green is always "proceed with caution".

If the traffic lights show a circular green light then you can turn left, Go straight ahead or turn right ONLY if there is no traffic coming from the opposite direction. On a circular green you MUST yield to traffic coming straight on from the opposite direction just like on a regular non traffic lighted junction.

There also exist yellow arrows for left turns, treat these like a stop or yield sign, if there are no conflicting traffic to your right then you can go but stop and let prevailing traffic pass you before proceeding.

It is amazing the number of people who cannot interpret these lights, the most important one is not to get "spoiled" by green filter arrows and mix them up with green circle lights. You can go unconditionally on a green right filter light but MUST YIELD to opposite traffic on a green circle light.

At box junctions do not enter until the exit is clear to avoid the formation of gridlocks. The exception is an unpainted Jump box with a right arrow on it. You can enter this box and wait for traffic to clear and make your right turn when either a right arrow appears or when the oncoming traffic is stopped on red. Because you are in the jump box you can move off and complete the right turn before the traffic on the minor road starts moving. Problems start when illegal followers try to follow the one car allowed around the turn. Jump boxes only allow one car at a time. Box junctions are painted in diagonal yellow lines about 30 to 45 cm apart and the ones to REALLY watch out for are the LUAS line junctions. Light rail cannot stop quickly and you will be in deep trouble if you get stuck in a box junction in front of an oncoming LUAS.......