What is the difference between a left turn signal and a left turn waiting signal?
2 Answers
The differences between a left turn signal and a left turn waiting signal are: 1. Purpose: To alleviate intersection pressure and improve vehicle traffic capacity. When the traffic light at the intersection turns green, vehicles needing to turn left should enter the left turn waiting area and wait, while observing the left turn traffic light ahead. Once the left turn light turns green, they should pass through the intersection as quickly as possible. 2. Method: When the straight-ahead signal light is on and the left turn signal light is red, vehicles should wait at the intersection stop line for the signal to proceed. When the straight-ahead signal light turns green, left-turning vehicles should then enter the left turn waiting area to await the signal to proceed. When the left turn signal light turns green, vehicles waiting in the waiting area should pass through the intersection promptly. 3. Note: Entering the waiting area when the left turn signal is red can disrupt the normal flow of traffic from other directions.
When I first started driving, I often confused these two signals. The left-turn signal is that dedicated arrow green light—when you see it lit up, you can make the left turn directly without hesitation. However, the left-turn waiting signal depends on signal combinations. For example, when the straight-through green light is on, if there’s a waiting zone prompt, you can first move your car into the waiting zone in the middle of the intersection and wait until the dedicated left-turn light turns green before turning. This design mainly helps ease congestion at intersections, something I deeply understood during peak hours. If you don’t follow the waiting signal and stay in place, you’ll end up blocking vehicles behind you. Many people turn without entering the waiting zone, which can easily cause accidents. I recommend paying more attention to road signs, especially at new intersections—slow down first and observe the signal sequence. Now, whenever I encounter it, I instinctively double-check.
