I went through a traffic light on green, it wasn't even on the borderline of going to yellow, and several cars followed behind, but I was behind a lorry which struggled round a tight bend and meant that by the time we got through the opposing traffic light had turned green and the driver waiting to go was shaking his head at us
Was I meant to anticipate that the lorry would have taken a long time?
I got the anger of the driver coming the other way, but I imagine if I didn't go through on green I'd have wound up the people behind me, so I don't see how I could have won
Thanks
You found yourself in one of those no-win traffic moments where being "right" doesn't stop the frustration! Technically, you had the green light, and it’s not reasonable to expect anyone to predict how slow a lorry might be around a bend. The opposing driver’s head shake was likely more about their own impatience than your actions—after all, you followed the rules.
Sometimes, driving is less about perfection and more about managing unpredictable variables like slow trucks and impatient drivers. If you’d stopped on green, you’d have frustrated the cars behind you, and by going through, you faced the head shake. Either way, someone was bound to be upset!
The takeaway? You can’t control others’ reactions, only your own. You stayed safe, followed the light, and handled the situation as best as anyone could. Sometimes, the road just throws you into a lose-lose scenario, but staying calm and focused is always the win.