How to drive when there are two left turn signals, one red and one green?
3 Answers
Two left turn arrows, one red and one green, indicate a traffic signal malfunction. If there is a traffic police officer, follow their instructions; if not, proceed slowly. Traffic signals are lights that direct traffic and usually consist of red, green, and yellow lights. A red light means stop, a green light means go, and a yellow light serves as a warning. Traffic signals are categorized into: motor vehicle signals, non-motor vehicle signals, pedestrian crossing signals, directional indicator signals (arrow signals), lane signals, flashing warning signals, and railway crossing signals. When the green light is on, vehicles are allowed to proceed, but turning vehicles must not obstruct the passage of straight-moving vehicles or pedestrians. When the yellow light is on, vehicles that have already crossed the stop line may continue. When the red light is on, vehicles must stop. At intersections without non-motor vehicle or pedestrian signals, non-motor vehicles and pedestrians should follow the motor vehicle signals. When the red light is on, right-turning vehicles may proceed if they do not obstruct the passage of other vehicles or pedestrians. When encountering a stop signal, vehicles should stop in sequence behind the stop line. When turning right and encountering a vehicle in the same lane waiting for the signal, vehicles should stop and wait in sequence.
This is a situation I often encounter when driving in the old town area. When both left-turn signal lights (red and green) are lit simultaneously, it's usually a signal malfunction. As a veteran driver with 20 years of experience, I'm telling you: a red light means stop, and a green light means go. But when both are lit at the same time, it creates a conflict. According to traffic laws, the red light takes precedence. Last week at the intersection of Nanjing Road, I encountered this situation and decisively stopped to wait for the signal to return to normal. Take a peek at how vehicles in other lanes are reacting—if everyone's stopped, don't take the risk. Never charge ahead just because you see a green light; many traffic cameras nowadays will still count it as running a red light. Remember this tip: whenever you see a red light, treat it as a stop sign. It's better to wait an extra three minutes than to get a ticket and lose six points.
As a traffic management officer, I handle about a dozen such cases every day. This kind of traffic light malfunction is mostly caused by program conflicts in the signal controller, such as overlapping settings for left-turn and straight-through phases. When encountering this, first check your lane: usually the red light above corresponds to the left-turn waiting area, while the green light corresponds to the main left-turn lane. Last month, after the renovation at Wenhua Intersection, this issue arose and it was later discovered that the arrow lights were installed backwards. I suggest you follow three steps: first, take a video as evidence; then observe if oncoming straight-moving vehicles are proceeding; finally, stop as you would at a red light. Don’t believe any nonsense about green lights having priority—traffic cameras don’t care about that.
