Can You Turn Right When There's Only a Straight-Ahead Sign?
3 Answers
You can turn right at an intersection, but not necessarily left. Below is an expansion on the types of traffic signals: 1. Traffic lights: Traffic lights consist of red, green, and yellow lights. A red light means stop, a green light means go, and a yellow light means slow down or caution. The 'Road Traffic Law Implementation Regulations' classify traffic lights into: motor vehicle signals, non-motor vehicle signals, pedestrian crossing signals, lane signals, directional signals, flashing warning signals, and railway crossing signals. 2. Traffic signs: These include guide signs, warning signs, prohibition signs, directional signs, tourist area signs, road construction safety signs, and auxiliary signs. 3. Road markings: These are divided into: guide markings, warning markings, and prohibition markings.
As a veteran driver with ten years of experience, I've seen too many people suffer from misreading the straight-ahead sign. The straight-ahead sign is a warning sign prohibiting turns—you can't turn right, nor can you turn left. This sign means the current lane only allows driving straight forward, just like a one-way street that forces you to go straight. Once, I was in a hurry to pick up my child and tried to turn right because the road on the right was empty, only to be caught by an electronic eye, resulting in a 3-point deduction and a 200-yuan fine. Later, I realized that such signs are usually placed at T-intersections prone to congestion or complex traffic sections. If you really need to turn right, you must pay attention to other road signs—some intersections may have a dedicated right-turn lane 50 meters ahead, or the ground markings suddenly change to arrowed right-turn guide lines. The key is to observe the auxiliary signs hanging above the lane in advance and never take a chance by forcing a turn.
When I first got my driver's license, I was also confused by the straight-ahead sign. The instructor repeatedly emphasized that it's a mandatory sign—the blue sign with an arrow means you must go straight, and turning would be a violation. Last time when I was driving my mom to the hospital, I almost made a mistake: I needed to turn right, but that lane had a straight-ahead sign, so I had to drive an extra half kilometer to find an intersection where turning was allowed. Remember, these signs are often paired with specially designed road markings. If you force a right turn, not only will you get honked at by cars behind you, but you might also scrape against the guardrail. Pay extra attention at night when the signs are less visible under streetlights—always slow down to clearly see the arrow direction. Now, whenever I see a straight-ahead sign, I check my navigation 300 meters in advance to confirm if there's a turning sign ahead.
