Look at the stars, look how they shine for you

[venta]

I have long since ceased being surprised by the number of drivers who don't appear to know how yellow boxes work, ie you mustn't stop in them. However, of late I have been surprised by the number of people whom I'd regard as good drivers who don't appear to know how yellow boxes work, ie you may stop in them if you're turning right and are only blocked by oncoming traffic.

In fact, I've been so surprised that I've gone so far as to actually check I'm right, rather than just mouthing off at random.

Paragraph 174 of the Highway Code states:

Box junctions. These have criss-cross yellow lines painted on the road (see 'Road markings'). 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. At signalled roundabouts you MUST NOT enter the box unless you can cross over it completely without stopping.

So... now I want to know. How many people know this ?

[Poll #1248362]

Comments

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

Your wording options forced me to lie in response to two of the questions, so I will clarify here:

Q2) I knew how yellow boxes worked except for signalled junctions being an exception.

Q3) I mostly ignore yellow boxes. The reason I mostly ignore them is because I judge whether or not I need to leave a space clear based on... whether or not it needs to be left clear. But I will also obey stupidly placed yellow boxes when it isn't actively disruptive to do so. The typical problem being that two sources of traffic are competing for one (congested) destination lane. If you aren't prepared to stop on a yellow box you would literally be parked at the lights for half an hour, because the other source lane will not behave similarly.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Q2: Note that it's signalled roundabouts not junctions, so the turning right exception won't apply. Therefore it's merely saying "don't stop in a yellow box" - which you shouldn't have to do anyway if your exit is clear.

[venta.livejournal.com]

I'm also surprised about you Q3 response. You must live in an area of stupidly-placed boxes, since most of the ones I drive over are covering places which should really be left clear.

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

Well no, when I say I mostly ignore them I don't mean that I mostly fail to comply. For example, there are several places in Staines where the middle of a huge junction has a yellow box on it. If you actually stopped there you'd be blocking several dozen cars and causing huge disruption. So I barely notice the box, because it would never have occurred to me to stop there in the first place!

[venta.livejournal.com]

Ah, right. Failure to comply was what I meant by ignoring them, but I realise I didn't make it clear.