At a red signal of this traffic light traffic is prohibited:

Explanation

Traffic is prohibited only on the lane above which this light is fitted.

Lights fitted to control passage lane by lane have a scope of effect confined to the lane above which they are placed. So the red signal of such a light means "entry into and continued movement in this lane are prohibited"; the adjacent lanes are subject to their own lights and may at that same moment show a permitting signal. The technical benefit of this arrangement is flexibility: one lane can be closed for repairs, an accident, a change in flow direction or the management of turns, while the rest of the road's width is kept open, without bringing all the traffic to a halt. The driver's duty is clear too: look at the light for your own lane, not the light for the lane beside you. If your lane's signal is red and the lane next to you is permitted, you must change lanes carefully before reaching the light.

Note that speed of travel plays no part in the meaning of the signal; red is the same for all speeds and all vehicles in that lane.

• A light controlling the entire width of the carriageway has a different position and function; a lane light confines its scope to one lane. • The meaning of a light's signal does not depend on the car's speed; red is an absolute prohibition and cannot be got round by slowing down.

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