"Iain" wrote in message
...
(Richard M Willis) wrote in
m:

As I understand it, you DO have to stop if the
filter isn't showing in one situation: if the filter
light is to the immediate left or right of
the main light, rather than underneath it.

I was led to believe that the law regarding
filter arrows is thus:

* If the filter arrow is below the main green light,
then if the main light is illuminated but the filter
isn't, you may proceed across the stop line
and wait to turn when it is safe to do so.
Once the filter arrow illuminates you can
assume it IS safe to do so as the oncoming
traffic will now be on a red.

* If the filter arrow is beside the main green light,
then if the main light is illuminated but the filter
isn't, you must not cross the stop line, even if
it is safe to turn. You must wait for the filter to
illuminate before you can even begin to make
the turn.

I'm sorry, but I think this is not correct. When TPTB want all right-turning
traffic to wait regardless of oncoming flows, they use a red light with a
forward green filter (and a left filter as well if necessary). Perhaps this
is the scenario where your friend failed his test (described below.)

IME right filter lights are only beneath the other lights when on a traffic
island which is very narrow.

Interestingly enough I can't find anything in the
Highway Code to back up this belief, despite
the fact that a few years back a friend failed
his car test and the examiner told him that
one of the faults was to
edge forward at a beside-the-main-light filter.

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes