Extra tax this week

Gary_in_Indiana · Aug 15, 2004

"Another legal turn which many people don't know is you can turn LEFT ON RED if the turn is onto a One-Way street from another One-Way street." 

Is that true everywhere?

Gatorboy · Aug 15, 2004

Is that true everywhere? 

I am almost positive it's true everywhere that Right on Red is allowed.

Bird · Aug 15, 2004

It is true in Texas now and has been for quite a few years, but of course, 40 years ago when I started in law enforcement, right on red was not allowed at all. As a matter of fact, I got a ticket for that when I was 18 or 19 years old. It was after midnight when I stopped for the red light, then turned right, with not a single vehicle or person in sight anywhere except that one black sedan right behind me (unmarked police car). /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

GerardC · Aug 15, 2004

( Is that true everywhere? 

I am almost positive it's true everywhere that Right on Red is allowed. )

It is here. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif G

dixiedrifter · Aug 15, 2004

In Tennessee, if your on a motorcycle, you can treat a red light like a stop sign.

They passed the law to help out in cities with radar activated lights.

Bikes are so small the red lights could not pick them up and would not change.

Its kinda fun stopping at a red light at night with a cop behind you, then just taking off whenever traffic clears.

neilly2 · Aug 15, 2004

I rarely worry about getting ticketed through a red light. Unless you are speeding over 10 above the limit, the driver can judge if he can safely stop or if he should proceed through the light.

The time an amber light is on before turning red is proportional to the speed limit, and is an engineered equation that is part of the design of the road/intersection. If the amber is timed incorrectly (too short) it will create what is known as a "dilemma zone", or basically too short of a stopping distance before red. In this instant there is no safe decision. Again, if you are going too far over the speed limit, you are creating the dilemma zone yourself.

If I'm ever pulled over for this I will fight the ticket armed with my transportation engineering book from college. All you have to do is go out and time the amber. My guess is that most lights older than 5 years are out of timing.

AndyM · Aug 15, 2004

If you are turning left, and are in the middle of the intersection waiting for oncoming traffic to clear, and the light turns red -- you are not breaking any law -- because you now have the right of way. 

It drives me batty when I'm behind someone who is trying to make a left turn, and they insist on waiting behind the white line. Since they don't creep up into the intersection and make their turn as the light turns red, they sit through several light changes trying to make their left turn! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Gatorboy · Aug 15, 2004

and they insist on waiting behind the white line. 

I think these are the same people that drive in the left lane and don't get over when someone is coming up behind them.

I always wonder what they think the signs SLOWER TRAFFIC KEEP RIGHT means? They probably think it means slower than the speed limit -- WRONG!

Junkman · Aug 16, 2004

( Is that true everywhere? )

I remember when the country was in a fuel crisis.... the first one back in 1973. It was part of Jimmy's way of fixing the problem that the right turn on red was made mandatory for all the states to adopt to continue getting Federal Highway funds. The MA Director of Transportation didn't like the new rules imposed on the state, and put up signs at every intersection prohibiting right turn on red. This in theory was in compliance with the new rule. The state wasted a lot of money, because they were found to be "out of compliance" and had to remove the signs and allow the right turn on red at a certain percentage of the intersections. Today, how it is administered is more likely to be locally controlled, but I believe that the Federal law/regulation also still prevails. If you would like to learn more about the role of the Federal government in this area, the Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, has a web page that has lots of information. If you have the patience, you probably could find every regulation that they have on the site. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif There is a manual, "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices" that is 750 pages and covers every situation possible...... well, almost... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif