When can you enter the left-turn waiting area?
2 Answers
You can enter the left-turn waiting area when the straight-through signal light is green or the left-turn signal light is green. Here are the detailed explanations: 1. The left-turn waiting area is easy to understand: imagine the area where left-turning vehicles wait as a green light for going straight, but you stop at the solid line and wait until the left-turn signal light turns green before making the left turn. 2. When the straight-through light is green, you can enter the waiting area for turning. Only when the left-turn light is on can you make a left turn. Otherwise, it is considered running a red light and will be penalized with a fine of 200 yuan and 6 points deducted. 3. The left-turn waiting area, also known as the left-turn waiting zone, is mainly set up to alleviate intersection pressure and improve vehicle traffic capacity.
From years of driving experience, I can say that the key to entering the left-turn waiting area is to watch the traffic lights. If the dedicated left-turn arrow is green, I immediately drive into the waiting area to prepare for the turn. If there is no arrow and only a regular circular green light, I proceed cautiously, making sure there aren’t many straight-moving vehicles or conflicts at the intersection before slowly entering. During peak hours, I wait until there are fewer straight-moving vehicles to avoid blocking traffic. Another important thing is to pay attention to signal changes—never enter the waiting area when the light is red or yellow, as it can easily lead to accidents. I’m even more careful in rainy weather or poor visibility. These judgments help me avoid trouble while driving. This technique is quite useful at busy urban intersections to save time, but safety must always come first. After so many years of driving, my biggest takeaway is to be patient and not rush when there are too many people around.
