Is it correct to yield to left-turning vehicles when going straight?
2 Answers
Yielding to left-turning vehicles when going straight is the correct behavior. Here are the relevant details: 1. Regulations: According to Articles 51 and 52 of the "Regulations for the Implementation of the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China" (State Council Order No. 405), when motor vehicles pass through intersections without directional signal lights or intersections without traffic signal control or traffic police direction, turning motor vehicles must yield to vehicles and pedestrians going straight. For vehicles traveling in opposite directions, right-turning vehicles must yield to left-turning vehicles. Therefore, under the same conditions of permission to proceed, left-turning vehicles must yield to vehicles going straight. 2. Precautions: When both traffic signals allow passage, turning vehicles must yield to vehicles going straight. For vehicles traveling in opposite directions turning in the same direction, right-turning vehicles must yield to left-turning vehicles.
I've been driving for over twenty years and know this rule well. In China's traffic regulations, yielding to left-turning vehicles when going straight is incorrect; the correct practice is left-turning vehicles yielding to straight-going ones. The reason is simple: at intersections, straight-going vehicles usually have priority because their path is more direct and their speed is higher, while left-turning vehicles need to wait for a gap to turn. Not following this rule can easily cause confusion or even accidents. From my experience, a common scenario is at intersections without traffic lights, where impatient left-turning drivers often cause collisions or traffic jams by not waiting for straight-going vehicles. I always pay special attention to this rule when driving on mountain roads or highway exits to avoid sudden braking. Safety comes first, and learning traffic rules helps everyone drive with more confidence.