Do You Need to Wait for a Red Light When Turning Left?
3 Answers
Turning left requires waiting for a red light. When the red light is on, vehicles are prohibited from passing. Below is relevant information: 1. Relevant laws: The "Implementation Regulations of the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" have corresponding provisions: Article 38 states that for motor vehicle signal lights and non-motor vehicle signal lights, when the green light is on, vehicles are permitted to pass, but turning vehicles must not obstruct the passage of straight-moving vehicles or pedestrians. 2. Relevant regulations: To learn motor vehicle driving, one must first study road traffic safety laws, regulations, and related knowledge. Only after passing the exam can one proceed to learn motor vehicle driving skills. Learning to drive on the road must be conducted according to the routes and times specified by the traffic management department of the public security organ.
I've been driving for over a decade, so left turns at red lights are something I know well. If there's a dedicated left-turn arrow signal at the intersection, you absolutely cannot turn when it's red—wait for green. What about regular circular red lights? Same rule applies: stop and wait for green, because red means stop. However, at some special intersections with signs saying 'Left Turn Permitted on Red,' you can go, but these are really rare. When the left-turn green light comes on, still watch out for oncoming traffic—don't cut in. Once, I saw someone run a red light to turn left and got caught on camera, resulting in points deducted and a fine. Always observe signal changes in advance; if the yellow light flashes, don't risk rushing—safety is more important than saving time.
Over the years of driving a taxi, I've always come to a complete stop at left-turn red lights. An arrow red light naturally means no passage, and turning left at a standard circular red light also counts as running a red light. Traffic rules clearly state 'stop at red, go at green,' and left turns are no exception. However, if you enter the left-turn waiting zone when the straight-through light is green, you can wait there for the left-turn green light. The key is to pay close attention to the combination of road markings and traffic signals: if there's a dedicated left-turn light, always follow the arrow; if there's only a full-screen light, observe the color of the circular light. I remember last year when a passenger urged me to turn left on red, but I insisted on waiting for green. Suddenly, a speeding motorcycle rushed from the opposite direction—just thinking about it still sends chills down my spine.
