Turning Left On A Red Light.....

[ToraToraTora]

Would it be a good thing to adopt here?

[sandyRoe]

What about pedestrians?

[ToraToraTora]

I'm talking about what the US does (turning right of course), I assume it does not apply to pedestrian crossings only standard traffic lighted junctions.

[jno]

what works on the six-lane highways that the Americans call country roads might not work on the country roads that we call highways.

Not all American states have the rule, either.

[andy-hughes]

Sandy - in the US states where this is permissable (right turn obviously) and in Canada, where it also applies - pedestrians have right of way.

I have been to Montreal several times, and soon got used to this system - the car drivers arfe vastly patient, no-one hoots at anyone, and the traffic flows well.

In theory it's great, but knowing how neurotic the average UK moterist is, it may not work as smoothly is it does with our North American friends.

[pusskin]

No and no again!

[woofgang]

When I lived in new jersey you could turn right on a red (it would be left here where we drive on the left). It was very useful in the smallish towns where we lived and, yes, kept the traffic flowing. They also had crossways where there was no right of way. These were very scarey at first but actually not a problem.

[VHG]

>>>No and no again!

I bet you don't have any experience of it working in practice.

I have driven and walked in the USA and it works fine over there.

[jno]

their four-way stop signs are much fairer than roundabouts; you just proceed in the order you arrived. But it relies on other drivers being courteous rather than queue-jumpers. Americans are, British less so.

[Old_Geezer]

No. It makes the situation unclear. If traffic can go then there should be a green light, either full or arrow. If there are pedestrians crossing then the vehicle has to stop anyway. There's no excuse to introduce interpretation and increase the risk factor for no benefit.

[Old_Geezer]

4 way stop signs ? Another madness. It's not courtious for all four to stick there waiting for others and then all four start up and narrowly miss a collision.

[woofgang]

OG have you experienced driving with either? In NJ it wasn't four way stop signs, it was a big square flashing sign hung over the middle of the intersection sign saying no priority.

[woofgang]

The other thing about NJ then is that jaywalking was an offence on roads where there were crossing points. Periodically if thing got out of hand, a local cop would station himself on the street with a megaphone and yell at the jaywalkers...identifying them by what they were wearing and telling them to "get back on the sidewalk"

[237SJ]

I don`t like that system in the States. The motorist is not sure if the pedestrian is about to step out and the pedestrian is not sure if the car is going to stop. It`s particularly bad in NY city where parked vehicles can impede the view and the motorists there are particularly impatient. The situation would be even more tricky on our narrow roads.

[jno]

all four don't sit there waiting, OG. The first one to arrive, leaves. They know which ones were there when they arrived and which ones weren't. The important thing is that everyone knows it and recognises it and doesn't try to jump the queue.

[society]

SJ, you sound confused.

[Hopkirk]

It's a ridiculous idea

[237SJ]

Society - I`m talking about the rule in the US where the cars can turn right when the lights are red. They can turn right but they have to give way to pedestrians. A lot of motorists are very impatient and either try to beat you to it by turning right across your path, or they go within inches behind you as soon as you have got a few feet across the road. They usually get a filthy look from me!

[Milvus]

How would cyclists know which red light to ignore?

[jno]

I didn't think you could do it in NYC unless there was a specific sign saying so? I may be misremembering, haven't driven there for a while.

[Hopkirk]

Don't forget that a lot of traffic lights in this country are fittedwith pedestrian lights (green/red men).

Anyone turning left on a red light could cross the pedestrian crossing on a green man phase.