- cross-posted to:
- usa@lemmy.ml
- cross-posted to:
- usa@lemmy.ml
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I dislike these kinds of articles (as someone who bikes to work everyday) because of how they treat an urban perspective as if its the only perspective. Some highway stoplights are in the middle of nowhere, have no crosswalk, can go a full year without a single pedestrian, and often have mimal cars. People who sit at those lights every day get mad from articles (like this one) that are completely tonedeaf to their situation.
Yes, in a busy city it makes no sense to allow turn on red, and the article has some great info but it also makes no sense to wait 2 minutes on red when there isn’t a car or human within a 5 mile radius.
If we want people to be onboard with change we’ve got to include them. We can solve both; like getting rual lights to use a flashing red to indicate “allows for turning on red” and THEN get city lights to ban turning right on solid red. Solving one problem expense of another is a quick way to create enemies.
There’s a light next to where i used to live that, like you suggested, used the flashing to indicate when right turns were allowed. I liked it especially since there was a lot of pedestrian traffic during the day but basically none at night (and was thus able to handle the different needs of the road depending on time of day), and it was a really intuitive way to let drivers know what the pedestrian signals were doing. Best part was it was for a right-turn-only lane, and had flashing-yellow (no green at all) to remind you to check for pedestrians and bikes.
Recently in my area they posted signs saying no right on red on certain intersections, which is fine, until a few months in they change the rules again where it is only Mon-Fri, at rush hours. The signs posting the hours are small and hard to read. Everyone’s confused if they’re allowed to turn or not. I’d rather they just stick with a blanket no right on red.
And when you legally stop at a red light, people will lay on their horn behind you because there’s no cross-traffic, even if it is a blanket “no right turn on red”.
And even when “right on red” is allowed, they will still lay on the horn when you stop. As if they don’t know you have to stop at the red and only proceed with your turn after a full stop and if the way is clear.
Actually, maybe they don’t know you have to come to a full stop before turning?
Yeah they did that where I live. I get it that it’s work hours but the text was so small! As a driver it’s hard to tell.
I have to admit this thread and post are very informative. I have never questioned it, right on red has just always been something I could do since I got my driver’s license. Didn’t realize it was so controversial! TIL after ~20 years lol
Didn’t realize it was so controversial!
If by controversial you mean dangerous, then yes, it is. It is one of the main ways in which pedestrians are killed in North America. In most developed countries it is illegal.
That’s an awful and enshitified website with ads for trucks.
But yes I agree it’s a very dangerous law
The city I live added the right to turn right on red as I was still a pedestrian. And I clearly saw the difference in danger of crossing the streets. Now ad a driver I don’t understand why so many drivers are in such a rush to buch up at the next red light. Here at least, you are supposed to do a complete stop for 4 seconds while checking both side before going only if it is safe to do so. But I see cars go right without even slowing down that much, and they will go even if a car is incoming thinking that they will slow down to let them pass. It’s so infuriating. Impatience is so dangerous.
Don’t read the comments. You’d think gasoline was still leaded with the aggressive position commenters are taking.
I was there’s like seven comments and nothing so bad, then I checked the article comments and wow are you right !
Jalopnik used to be great. Unfortunately, when a new company bought the site years ago, things started going downhill.
Ironically, it’s a site for car enthusiasts, and not the first place you’d expect to see an article like this. Yeah, they’re a bit more laid back and progressive than other sites covering similar topics, but still.
There are times when, as a driver, I’m glad turning right on red is legal. I’d be perfectly fine if it was abolished, though. The risks massively outweigh the benefits.
I was shocked the first time I went to a country that allowed this. What is the point of having a red light if it doesn’t mean stop? As a pedestrian, it seems ridiculous and dangerous.
TBF you are supposed to stop first
The driver is legally supposed to stop, and look.
The problem is they have to accept they have no right of way, and need to check far in both directions, making it potentially dangerous.
As always, the BEST solution is to just get the pedestrians and cyclists away from the cars with better design, but that isn’t always practical.
Unfortunately as a pedestrian although you may have the right of way, that doesn’t really matter. Your neighbor is a multi thousand pound metal sled. Never normalize bring near such a machine. I think of it line standing next to a running wood chipper… I’d always be very cautious near that, why not moving cars.
That’s precisely my point, in the UK red is stop. That’s it, just stop, no going under any circumstances. If I see a car going through a red light then they are breaking the law, so it’s pretty surprising to see it happen.
I want to go further and state every intersection with a crossing should be a scramble with their own time to cross independent of cars. It’s safer and pedestrians deserve it. Cars can wait the extra light, they are in cars, sit there and wait.
So we are ok with left on red? Which is a thing if it is a one way street you are turning into.
We drive on the correct side of the road here (highly recommended) and left on red is only legal if there’s a sign permitting it.
If sounding arrogant was your intent, you’ve done an excellent job. If it wasn’t, maybe some editing is called for.
Look I’m a patriotic Brit too but the side you drive on really doesn’t matter as long as everyone drives on it within that country.
the statistics for head on crashes begs to differ.
it’s the best kind of trolling because it’s an objectively correct, defensible position, and literally no one is going to change their mind on the matter.