Baffling yellow traffic light rule divides motorists over when you can turn right

A simple road rule question about when a driver can turn right at an intersection has divided motorists.

A seemingly simple question about road rules has divided motorists.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland shared a graphic online asking what a driver waiting at a four-way intersection should do as they wait to turn right, and the lights turn yellow.

“You know your road rules, and now’s your chance to prove it,” the post read.

“The driver of the blue car is turning right. What action do they need to take now that the traffic light has changed to yellow?

“A. Stop where they are and wait for the next green light

“B. Complete the right turn on the yellow or red light when safe to do so

“C. Reverse back until their vehicle is behind the stop line.”

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What should the driver in the blue car do?

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Hundreds of social media users responded in the comments section, disagreeing about what the right thing to do was.

“B. They’ve already passed the solid line so they’re obliged to go when safe,” one woman said.

“The blue car has to complete the turn if safe to do so. Otherwise he will block the cars on his left, turning right,” another wrote.

But some disagreed, saying the driver in the blue car was already at fault for driving into the intersection.

“The driver should not have driven over the stop line if they were not able to drive freely through the intersection. The situation illustrated would never arise if the driver obeyed the regs.”

“Looks like someone needs to read their road rules again,” one woman replied.

“You could not be more wrong. Resit your licence test,” another said.

“I love it when someone is so confident and smug in their wrong answer lmao,” another said.

So what’s the right answer?

The Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland confirmed Option B was correct, saying in a statement on their website, “If the light is green and there are vehicles approaching from the opposite direction, you can move forward into the intersection past the stop line if you can do so safely.

“If there is a safe gap in oncoming traffic, you may complete the right turn.

“If you’re in the intersection and the oncoming traffic continues until the lights turn yellow or red, you must complete the turn on the yellow or red light.”

Originally published as Baffling yellow traffic light rule divides motorists over when you can turn right