The blue car will drive through the intersection:

Explanation

First.

The traffic light on the right of the picture is green, so both vehicles are permitted to enter the junction. Now look at the red car: its two left indicators are on and it wants to turn left. The blue car is coming from the opposite direction, without indicators, going straight.

The rule here is short and admits of no exception: a driver turning left must give way to vehicles coming straight towards him. So the blue car passes through the junction first and the red car turns behind it.

Safety reason: in a left turn the vehicle moves across the oncoming flow at a sharp angle, and if it misjudges, the impact occurs in the occupant area; that is, where there is least crumple space. Judging the speed of an oncoming vehicle from behind the wheel is also very difficult, and drivers usually underestimate it. By placing the whole risk on the left-turner, the law neutralises that perceptual error.

The trap in the question is the yellow diamond and the priority road direction sign beside the light. Priority signs only determine the relationship between two crossing roads and give you no advantage against an oncoming vehicle; besides, at a junction with a working traffic light the order of passage is set by the light, not by the signs.

• "Second" would be right if the blue car also intended to turn left or were coming from a minor road; in the picture the blue car comes straight and without indicators, and priority is his.

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