On 2011\10\31 21:50, Clive D. W. Feather wrote:
In message , Roland Perry
wrote:
Near where I live there's an old set of traffic lights with three
lanes for left, right and ahead, which has the same directional
control of lane markings and green arrows, but no "forced left/right"
signs (by which I assume you mean the blue arrows).

You could argue that you're not forced to use the lanes for any given
direction. So long as a leftwards arrow is lit and you drive with
appropriate care, you can turn left from any lane.

Under the new method, if you're approaching a crossroads where one turn
is banned, but you don't know whether it's the left or right which is
banned, and the road splits in two just before the lights, and both
branches are showing a red light, how can you work out which side to use
to go forward? I suppose the answer is "use the lane markings", but in
snow or even in night-time rain these can be hard to see.