Even the most composed drivers may become competitive chess players, planning every move on those notorious yellow box junctions—those golden grids of stress. As you get closer, you’ve undoubtedly noticed those crisscrossed, bright lines that silently assess your ability to make decisions.

Is there enough time for me? Will the car in front of you stop? The man behind me is honking like he’s in a brass band. Why is that? Calm down! The purpose of yellow boxes is to maintain efficient traffic flow, not to spoil your day. We can help you avoid fines, irritation, and embarrassing confrontations with impatient drivers by deciphering these enigmatic boxes of urban mayhem.

It’s not uncommon to come across yellow criss-cross lines, normally painted in the middle of a junction—typically at traffic lights, but you can find them in other places. More on that one later.

Don’t stop on the yellow box because you may be blocking the path of other traffic. However, it does say you can wait on a yellow box.

If you’re waiting to turn right, your exit road is clear, and the only reason you can’t turn right is because of oncoming cars, then it’s okay to wait on the yellow box. When there are no more oncoming cars, you can finish your turn.

I’ve given here a tip on dealing with yellow boxes: wait until the car in front has gone past the yellow box. That way, you know you can pass it too. For example, I’m slowing down here, dropping back from the car in front. There’s a yellow box here—it’s quite dirty. They’ve gone past it now. I know I can pass it, and I’m not going to end up trapped in the box.

The yellow box was actually outside of a fire station, not a junction. That allows the fire engines to get going more quickly when they need to. Here’s another example of a yellow box without a junction:

A weak bridge. They put a yellow box there to stop you from stopping on the weak bridge. We can’t actually see the exit of the yellow box, but it’s quite clear it’s for the bridge. So, if I can see that I can get over the bridge, I know I can make it through the yellow box to the other side, and I’m not going to end up stopped on it.

We also have an example of a yellow box at a junction with traffic lights. A yellow box junction—same deal applies: don’t enter the yellow marked area until you know you can get past it. Even if people behind are pressuring you or using their horn, don’t drive in it. You can get fined for waiting in these, and you’ll be the one who gets fined if you end up waiting in it—no matter who’s pressuring you.

Suppose I’m turning right at this yellow box junction, and my exit road is blocked. I must leave the yellow area clear. Ideally, I should also leave the pedestrian area clear, and if possible, I must leave the cycle area clear. This way, when the lights go red, I’m not blocking anyone’s path. In fact, if a car is here blocking the pedestrian crossing, it shouldn’t be.

Likewise, when going straight ahead, you must leave the yellow area clear, but you should also leave the pedestrian areas clear. You must stop at the first white line of the advanced stop line when possible.

When you’re waiting to turn left, and your exit road is clear, but the only reason you can’t turn left is because of oncoming cars, then you should wait in the yellow area. It’s also normal to wait in the pedestrian area on these occasions because, when the lights go red, cars in the middle of the junction will have time to clear the junction before pedestrians or adjoining cars get a green light.

Usually, all the lights stay red for a period of time to allow this to happen, but this does vary between junctions.

Don’t wait on the stop lines because, when the lights go red, you will be stuck there. You must not cross the lines when the traffic lights are red.

Now, a yellow box on a roundabout—a traffic light-controlled roundabout. You can’t see it yet, but it’s just gone red. Again, don’t enter the yellow marked area until you can get past it.

However, when you have a particularly long section of yellow box and the traffic is flowing, it’s not always practical to let the car in front clear the yellow box before you enter.

If everybody did that at this traffic light, you wouldn’t get many people past the green light because the yellow box is so long. You’d have one car going through at a time, and that would increase congestion.

So, when it’s busy, and you’re in flowing traffic, the best thing to do is drop back from the car in front a bit to improve your view. Look further down the road and try to determine: Are the cars continuing?

In that case, continue with the flow of traffic. Or does it look like someone up there is stopping and all the traffic is going to stop? In that case, wait before the yellow box.

What can happen, though, is your exit road becomes blocked while you’re already waiting on the yellow box. This is how the yellow box can become a bit of a “box trap.” You could get fined even though you’re following the rules. In this situation, try your best to clear a path for flowing traffic if it’s possible.

Dashcam evidence will help if you need to appeal a fine, and driving examiners on tests will understand what’s happened. They’ll mark it based on how you deal with the situation.

In reality, though, all junctions are yellow box junctions because you should not block junctions or block traffic that otherwise has a clear path. The yellow box is just there to emphasize and enforce what you should be doing. If you stop on the yellow box, you can be fined.

Here’s the lowdown on yellow box junctions: they’re straightforward in theory but challenging to implement. These golden grids are meant to keep traffic moving and tempers in check, whether they are at a busy intersection, outside a fire station, or protecting a bridge.

Making a plan, being calm, and avoiding a box are the keys. Because, let’s face it, no one wants to be that motorist that gets stuck in the middle. Learning the yellow box will help you avoid fines and win the silent respect of your fellow road warriors. Don’t leave the box until you’re positive you’re okay, and have a safe journey!