Where should the driver stop in this situation?

Explanation

In front of the "stop line" road marking.

When a stop line is drawn on the carriageway, that line determines the place of stopping — not an estimated distance to the light and not the edge of the junction. In the picture the transverse white line is visible just before the yellow pedestrian-crossing markings, and the traffic light is fitted on the right; the driver must stop so that his front bumper does not cross this line.

The position of a stop line is chosen by calculation: far enough back that the stopped car does not enter the pedestrian crossing and the pedestrians' path stays open, and far enough forward that the driver can see the light and the crossing traffic. If you stop beyond the line, you pull a pedestrian's feet out of his path and force him to pass between cars; if you stop much further back, you lose the junction's capacity and sometimes the light's detectors.

Memorise the order of priority: the stop line; if there is none, the sign or the light; and if there is neither, the edge of the crossing carriageway, positioned so that you have a full view.

The common trap in this question is the option "before the traffic light". A light is usually placed higher and further forward than the stop line, and if you go up to the foot of the light you are effectively standing on the pedestrian crossing.

• Both the light and the stop line are visible in the picture; ignoring them and passing through a signalled junction without stopping is not acceptable. • The traffic light is fitted further forward than the stop line; stopping at the foot of the light means standing on the pedestrian markings. • The edge of the junction is the criterion only when there is neither a stop line nor a sign; here a stop line is drawn and it takes priority.

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