Is right turn allowed In this situation?

Explanation

Yes, provided you create no obstruction for the pedestrian.

In the picture the traffic controller has extended his right arm forward and you see him from his left side. In this position, movement in all directions is free for rubber-tyred vehicles; so a right turn is certainly permitted. The pedestrians seen on the right of the picture may also cross the carriageway from behind the controller's back.

But permission to move is not the end of the matter. When you turn right you enter a carriageway that has pedestrian markings; a pedestrian who began crossing before you has priority and you must stop until he has finished. The safety reason is clear: at the moment of turning, the car's front pillar covers precisely the angle from which the pedestrian enters your path, and the low speed of the turn creates the false impression that there is no danger.

To memorise, put the three cases of the "right arm extended forward" signal side by side: from the controller's left side all directions are free, from his chest side only a right turn, and from his right side and behind him movement is prohibited. First identify which side you see the controller from; without that identification, any answer is a guess.

• "No" assumes the controller's signal has closed your path; but you see him from his left side, and that is the freest state of the signal, not the most prohibited.

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