13.1 Junctions, Roundabouts & Priority

13.1 Junctions, Roundabouts & Priority

Quick Answer: Approach junctions slowly enough to stop, in the correct lane, with mirrors–signal–look-out. Red means stop; amber means stop unless stopping would be unsafe; green is go only if the exit is clear. STOP = full stop then give way; Give Way = yield to the major road. At roundabouts, give way to traffic from the right / circulating. When turning, look for pedestrians. Do not stop a taxi on the junction, on a crossing, or in a yellow box for pickup convenience.

Chapter 12 covered fitness, speed, gaps, overtaking, and lane markings. This section is pure Part B Road Users’ Code junction skill — the place where most urban taxi miles and most conflict points meet. The Code’s junction teaching is practical: arrive under control, know who has priority, protect vulnerable users, and leave the junction clear for others.

Why Junctions Dominate Taxi Risk and Exam Stems

Hong Kong’s street network is dense with crossroads, T-junctions, light-controlled intersections, roundabouts, and dual-carriageway entries. Taxi work multiplies exposure because:

• Passengers request pickups near corners, hotel driveways, and mall kerbs that sit on or just before junctions
• Destination turns often change late, forcing last-second lane moves into the wrong approach
• Meter pressure and queue pressure tempt drivers to creep into the box on green when the far side is blocked

Exam mindset: priority is decided by rules, signs, markings, and safety — not by vehicle size, roof light, or a paying passenger.

Approach Position and Speed

Before the give-way line or stop line, complete a professional approach:

1. Read the junction early

• Signs: STOP, Give Way, no-right-turn, lane arrows, light signals
• Markings: stop lines, give-way lines, yellow boxes, pedestrian stripes, lane arrows
• Layout: how many lanes, where right/left turns leave from, whether a dual carriageway or tram/light-rail track is involved

2. Choose the correct lane in good time

• Follow lane arrows — an arrowed lane commits you to that direction
• Do not cut across solid lines or several lanes at the last moment for a passenger’s late “turn here”
• On multi-lane approaches, get into the correct lane for your intended exit before the junction, not inside it

3. Control speed so you can stop

Link back to Section 12.2: you must be able to stop well within the distance you can see clear. At junctions that means:

• Ease off early; avoid sharp braking except in a true emergency
• Be ready for lights that change, pedestrians who step out, and vehicles that stop short
• In wet weather, allow extra distance — painted lines and junction approaches can be especially slippery

4. Observation sequence

Mirrors → signal (if turning or changing path) → look right, left, and ahead → blind spots for cyclists and motorcycles → move only when safe.

Hong Kong traffic includes many two-wheelers filtering along your side. A mirror-only glance is not enough before you swing into a turn.

Traffic-Light Junctions

Signal-controlled junctions are high-yield Part B material.

Core light meanings (driver focus)

Green is not a free pass to block

A classic TD-style stem: traffic light is green, but the road beyond the junction is queued solid. Correct action:

Wait before the junction until there is room to clear it.

Do not:

• Drive into the middle and stop across the cross path
• Creep onto the pedestrian crossing to “save space”
• Enter a yellow box when your exit is blocked (except the limited right-turn waiting cases the markings/rules allow)

Blocking the junction on green still causes gridlock and endangers people on foot. The Code and the practice bank both reward keep the junction clear.

Filter and turning care at lights

• When turning on green, scan for pedestrians who may still be finishing a crossing with a green man or residual right of way
• Watch for vehicles from the opposite direction turning across your path
• Do not overtake a vehicle that has stopped at the lights in a way that puts you into a pedestrian zone or opposing lane unlawfully

STOP and Give Way Junctions

Not every junction has lights. Priority signs matter.

STOP junctions

At a STOP sign and stop line:

1. Come to a complete stop — rolling through is wrong on the exam and in real enforcement
2. Look properly in all relevant directions
3. Give way to traffic on the major road and to any road users who have priority
4. Move off only when the gap is safe for your full entry and acceleration

Give Way junctions

At a Give Way sign / give-way line:

1. Slow down early; be ready to stop
2. Give way to traffic on the major road
3. If the major road is clear, you may proceed without a full stop — but only when you can do so safely
4. If in doubt, stop

Uncontrolled junctions

Where there is no light and no clear priority signing, drive defensively:

• Do not assume priority because your taxi is larger or hired
• Be prepared to stop for anyone already in the junction or approaching so close that a conflict would result
• Establish eye contact carefully but do not rely on gestures alone — follow rules and safety

Roundabouts: Give Way to the Right / Circulating Traffic

Hong Kong RUC roundabout teaching (align with the Code):

Give way to traffic from the right — that is, to traffic already circulating on the roundabout that would conflict with your entry.

Entry

• Approach in the correct lane for your intended exit where lane guidance exists
• Slow, observe circulating traffic, and give way until a safe gap appears
• Do not force entry and make circulating vehicles brake hard

Circulating and leaving

• Keep going clockwise around the island in the normal Hong Kong layout pattern taught by the Code
• Use the lane appropriate for your exit; avoid cutting across other circulating vehicles
• Signal left when leaving (as local signalling practice requires) so drivers waiting to enter understand your intention
• Watch for pedestrians at arms of the roundabout and for two-wheelers on your inside or outside

Common roundabout traps

Junctions with Dual Carriageways

Joining or leaving a dual carriageway needs extra discipline because speeds and lane counts are higher and opposite directions are separated by a central reservation.

Joining

• Use the proper slip road or junction — do not invent a U-turn through the reservation unless expressly allowed
• Match speed to the stream as far as safe and lawful; use acceleration lanes fully when provided
• Give way according to signs and markings at the merge; do not assume mainline traffic will open a gap for a taxi
• Check blind spots for motorcycles in the lane you intend to enter

Leaving / turning across

• Move into the correct lane early
• On some dual-carriageway junctions you may need to wait in a designated turning area — do not block through lanes while deciding
• Never reverse onto a dual carriageway to correct a missed exit; continue to a safe lawful place to recover the route

Central reservation discipline

• Stay on the correct side of the reservation
• Do not stop in a gap in the reservation to pick up passengers unless that place is a lawful, designed stopping area (almost never for casual hail)
• U-turns only where allowed; passenger convenience is not a permit

Looking for Pedestrians When Turning

Turning vehicles are a leading cause of pedestrian injuries. The RUC expectation is explicit in spirit: before you turn, look for people on foot (and cyclists) who may be crossing or about to cross.

High-yield habits:

1. Left turns — pedestrians may step off beside you; cyclists may be on your inside
2. Right turns — longer path across more of the junction; opposite traffic and far-side pedestrians both matter
3. Creeping while looking is better than a committed turn into a person, but do not end up stopped on the stripes
4. If pedestrians are on the crossing, give way as required; do not edge them back with the taxi nose
5. Horn is for warning of danger, not for demanding that pedestrians clear so you can keep the meter rolling

Taxi Angle: Pickups Near Junctions — Where Not to Stop

Passengers often wave from the corner. Your professional and exam-correct response is safety and legality first.

Do not stop / wait for hire or alighting in ways that:

• Sit on the junction or across the mouth of a side road so other drivers cannot enter or leave
• Block a stop line, give-way line, or yellow box
• Occupy a zebra or signal-controlled crossing (including the striped area pedestrians use)
• Obstruct a bus stop, light-rail area, or dedicated lane during restricted hours
• Force passengers to open doors into a live traffic stream because you stopped away from the kerb

Better professional pattern

Link to earlier taxi-operation chapters: you may pick up when hailed except where stopping is prohibited — junctions and crossings are classic prohibition / hazard zones. Part B will not reward “the passenger insisted.”

Priority Summary Table

Common Exam Traps

Closing Checklist for Section 13.1

1. Approach under control; correct lane early; mirrors–signal–look-out.
2. Lights: red stop; amber stop if safe to do so; green only with clear exit.
3. STOP = full stop; Give Way = yield; never invent taxi priority.
4. Roundabouts: give way from the right / circulating; exit without cutting across.
5. Dual carriageways: proper joins/leaves; no reservation U-turn shortcuts.
6. Turning = pedestrian and cyclist scan every time.
7. Taxi pickups: off the junction, off the crossing, out of the yellow box.

Next, Section 13.2 widens the same defensive mindset to sharing the road with pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and light rail — the vulnerable users who share Hong Kong’s densest corridors with taxis.