WIBU - yellow hatchings at junction (very bad pic included)

[HeirOfNothingInParticular]

First of all, I was always under the impression that you must not enter a yellow hatched box. It is quite a few years since I passed my driving test, so googled this and found out that I was not quite correct - "Rule 174 - You MUST NOT enter the box until your exit road or lane is clear. However, you may enter the box and wait when you want to turn right, and are only stopped from doing so by oncoming traffic, or by other vehicles waiting to turn right"

Driving home tonight I was 'road raged' by someone because I didn't move into the box. This man honked his horn, gesticulated at me, etc, etc. Badly drawn with my fat index finger picture attached.

There are traffic lights at the junction that I was stuck at, and then another set of traffic lights at the junction I wanted to turn right at. I haven't shown it in my (bad) drawing, but if you want to turn right at the junction I was stuck at, then there are two other lanes which are filtered by traffic lights.

I really hate my journey home every day, and sick to death of arrogant f@@@ wits who have no regards for others. After checking the highway code, am confused as to if my interpretation was correct - I think it is - was slightly taken aback by this chaps OTT reaction to me not moving into the yellow box... I did feel slightly smug when I did my right turn and the unpleasant git was still stuck in a load of traffic.

only enter if there is room to get out. Otherwise you will get a ticket.

Perhaps he didn't realise that you were turning right? Eitherway, it really winds me up how stressed everyone gets communting - make it miserable for the lot of us :(

I think you were correct as you were technically going straight on at the box junction so therefore your exit lane was not clear.

Also he was a twat.

YANBU

I get this after a little bit of thought. You were going straight on initially and then right at the NEXT lights. Your exit road was not clear and you were not turning right so you were right to wait. Otherwise you were at risk of blocking the box junction if the lights changed to red for you before the line ahead cleared.

However I have been surprised in the past at how many people do not understand the exception to the box junction rule.

If your exit is clear and is likely to continue being so then you should enter the yellow box when turning right to help the flow of traffic.

We have people blocking the junction near us like this a lot. It is infuriating, especially as it's not in the spirit of the highway code.

From what you've described you were unreasonable however driver behind being a twit nullifies what you did as they were equally unreasonable.

Correction. You weren't immediately turning right so you are blameless and in the right making twit driver behind you an arsehole.

CadnoDrwg OP wasn't turning right she was going straight on and the lane ahead was full. She was turning right at the next set of lights beyond the one she was stuck at. At least thats how I understood it.

Oops sorry x-post

Thanks all. Travelling in heavy is frustrating, but his reaction was ridiculous. He repeatedly beeped his horn at me, waved his hands around, was shouting, then held his head in his hands and pretended to bang his head on his steering wheel! I didn't move, no way was I being intimidated by him. I would have blocked the junction for traffic turning right onto that road, and he would only have managed to get a couple of cars ahead anyway.

CadnoDrwg - I have to admit I still don't full understand that rule, but will bear it in mind in future. Most of the junctions around my way are filtered, but I do feel uneasy about going into the box if turning right as the traffic is so busy, and you are lucky if you could turn right before the lights change as cars are still coming through on amber (or even red)!

Disappointed not to see a photo of chicks. I misread the title as 'yellow hatchlings'.

For those (not the OP) who are not sure about turning right, if lights are not filtered:

If your exit road is clear (not queuing), you DO enter the box, for a gap in the oncoming traffic. You might have to wait for twenty cars, but that's normal. Yes, the lights might start changing to amber, but by then, you have passed the stop line, so as soon as the incoming traffic stops, you are still able to exit the junction quickly. (When you get the amber light, so do they.)

Sometimes it happens that the oncoming traffic does not stop for the amber, or even the red. This can mean that by the time you move, another road has the green light, or the pedestrian lights are then green. But this is rare, and not your fault, unless you have been especially slow at moving.

I do think that the Highway Code explains most things well, it contains a few bad sentences which are not helpful. One of my favourites is: "a green arrow may be provided in addition to the full green signal if movement in a certain direction is allowed before or after the full green phase." The next bit is more useful: "if the way is clear you may go but only in the direction shown by the arrow. You may do this whatever other lights may be showing."

Also thought there were going to be cute yellow chicks. 😔. But he was being a dick for having road rage. Doesn't matter if you should have gone or not, he didn't need to be rude.

I hate box junctions

I do feel uneasy about going into the box if turning right as the traffic is so busy, and you are lucky if you could turn right before the lights change as cars are still coming through on amber (or even red)!

You don't need to feel uneasy about this - if you are turning right at a junction like this, it is fine to be stationary on the yellow hatchings. You should be positioned such that when the lights go green for people travelling straight ahead from the road on your left to the road on your right, they can't just barge past leaving you stranded because at least the nose of your car is in the way - and rightly so, it is your turn to enter the road to the right as soon as the way is clear no matter what the lights are doing. The lights being orange or red isn't an issue for you, you are not part of the flow that is supposed to stop when the lights go red any more if you are waiting to turn right on yellow hatching.

Where you should be cautious and where too many drivers take the piss is where you are part of a queue of cars wanting to turn right in these conditions. Some junctions you can get away with being the second car to turn right once the lights change but being 3rd or 4th can be a bit dodgy and it's better to wait and be first next cycle.

I know where you're coming from. We have a roundabout with yellow boxes on to prevent the local traffic preventing the flow of the A road that goes through it, operated by traffic lights. I have learned to be really careful that there is actually space ahead before going and will sit there whilst the traffic light is green if there is no space on the other side to drive into.

Some people , blokes mostly think that beeping and gesticulating will defy the laws of physics and a space will miraculously appear if I drive forwards. I was really pissed off the first time it happened but now just sit there and ignore them. Which seems to wind them up more.

You did the right thing. I speak as te voice of experience having clocked up THREE fines for being (partially) trapped in yellow box junctions despite trying my hardest not to be!

I would not go into the wrong lane and then try to pull across - that is even worse IMO.

If other people are being dicks that is all on them. Lock doors turn music up and ignore. It's their problem not yours.

Oh, there's no cute chick picture, sad.
But YANBU, he was a stupid twat. Sounds like he needs some anger management.

Wandering- very clear and helpful.

Heart - that wouldn't work. I would have blocked traffic turning right into that lane from side road. There is a tram line running across road a little further up and this means lights on red for ages.

LOL re chick pic!

Btw he couldn't not see the box, it's massive

You were in the right. Annoying little man was wrong! Ignore ignore ignore!

However I think he wanted you to block the box to prevent any traffic turning into the (non-moving) flow) of traffic from the side road if you get what I mean.

IE> when the lights go red you (and him) would already be through the first set of lights and could continue on. Instead when the lights went red, you'd be waiting patiently and legally before the lights and those pesky people in the side road would get in front of him!!

I have nothing useful to add, other than thanks for the best mumsnet diagram so far.

I live near a busy roundabout with a cross box and always get beeped for not driving onto it. Some people are just twats!

Another one thinking this was going to be about little chicks.

By the sounds of it you were right OP, I have a similar junction in my town and I would've done the same as you. So many arrogant assholes on the road, I ignore and don't even make eye contact when I'm in a situation like that, they (mostly men, there I've said it) get really angry when you don't react to them shouting out of their window at you or giving you the finger.

Was there a filter light to indicate you could turn right OP? I totally get where you are coming from. There is a junction and lights like this to get to my local supermarket and I won't turn right until the filter light goes on. I have gotten so much abuse because of this it's unbelievable. It's made me so self conscious that now I go a different way to avoid said lights and junction.

ClarkWGriswold slightly different situation to the OP, in your situation you can turn right into the supermarket before the filter if there is no oncoming traffic. If I was sitting behind you and you were waiting on an empty road I would have a WTF look on my face, obviously I wouldn't shout abuse at you, no one should.