How do I turn left in an intersection? Please see the attached picture. Say for example i am in Kochhansstraße and I want to turn left and enter Petersburger Straße. Once the signal turns green, should I go and wait in the middle of the railway track and give way for oncoming traffic? Please advise
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Left turn yield on green. I would not personally advise waiting on a rail track.
https://routetogermany.com/drivingingermany-amp/right-of-way
If there aren’t any trains approaching you are allowed to drive onto and wait on the tracks. If I recall correctly if you are waiting on the tracks and are unable to move forward any trains coming will have to wait.
Usually the tram has traffic lights on this kind of intersections, too.
If you for example want to turn left from the western Kochhannstraße into Petersburger Straße northbound:
Obviously you wait until your light is green. Then you drive straight across the southbound Petersburger Straße and across the tram tracks.
You can position yourself slightly in the middle of the road but make sure that vehicles from the eastern Kochhannstraße are able to pass you.
Since there is no protected “Left Turn” (green left arrow) you must wait for oncoming vehicles before you turn left.
If you are not the first vehicle in line you still can enter the intersection. Theoretically you must keep the tracks clear so I would wait between the southbound Petersburger Straße and the tracks. If this space is also taken then you aren’t allowed to enter the intersection despite having a green signal.
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In theory if you are already in the intersection and the cross-traffic gets their green light they would have to wait and let you first clear the intersection. This applies also to the trams. Now we all know that the real world is often different and it is possible that you somehow got stuck in the middle. Then just try to clear the tracks and wait behind or in front until it’s your turn again.
https://i.imgur.com/dQcWqN4.jpg
You look left, if there is no traffic, check the rails for trams, then move forward. Extra check again for tram traffic, then cross the rails and check for car traffic from the right/from the opposite direction, if there is no traffic, proceed to go left on Petersburger Street.