Why is it so hard for people to turn left at a traffic light?

[Anonymous]

About 10 years ago, this was asked on Dr. Gridlock and he checked with VA, DC and MD police. In DC this is unacceptable, but in MD and VA the cops said, yes, because it gets more folks through.

[Anonymous]

As soon as the light turns red in DC, the cameras start snapping

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As soon as the light turns red in DC, the cameras start snapping

As they should.

But there are only a handful of red light cameras in DC so this is a silly thing to worry about.

If you are already out in the intersection before it turns you shouldn't get a ticket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have no trouble with this, but I thought you can get a ticket for being in the middle when the light turns red. Also, a lot of times even after the light turns red, the right turn lane never clears and you can't turn left into the road you wanted.

Lifelong Washingtonian here. Back in the 70s, 80s and early 90s, the remaining left-turner could always count on turning on the yellow light. The cars from the other direction slowed down at the yellow, leaving time and space for the left-turner to go.

Fast forward to today, and cars coming from the other direction are busy pushing their way through the intersection up until the second the light turns from yellow to red. The left-turner often has to make that turn after the light has already changed.

Agreed. And this is when a cop can ticket you. I also worry a lot in DC about getting a ticket from a red light camera so there's no way I'm pulling forward in DC. (But I'm a good driver and pay close attention. I'm not the 55mph in the left lane poster above)

Well by this logic, you'd never be able to make the turn then. If you're already in the intersection when the light turns red, you need to clear the intersection. It's a bit different than proceeding INTO the intersection AFTER the light turns red.

No you wait until the next traffic cycle when you get a green turning arrow. I have been ticketed for pulling into the middle of an intersection and not being able to turn before the light turned red due to the volume of traffic.

BS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As soon as the light turns red in DC, the cameras start snapping

As they should.

But there are only a handful of red light cameras in DC so this is a silly thing to worry about.

If you are already out in the intersection before it turns you shouldn't get a ticket.

Plus they check the speed/acceleration. They can tell if you are running the light vs. clearing the box.

[Anonymous]

why arent there left hand turning signals to mitigate this all together?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:why arent there left hand turning signals to mitigate this all together?

Because on roads that can't be widened for a queue lane you attract queuing which reduces the net throughput of cars - if it is hard to make the turn a lot drivers will figure out alternate ways to get across and never queue up. And in congested areas green time for turn signals comes at the expense of other traffic so in essence it is a zero sum game.

On big suburban roads with few pedestrians they can work.

In urban areas the trade-offs often don't make sense.

[Anonymous]

I used to pull into the middle of the intersection and wait.

After red light cameras showed up, I stopped doing that. Now I stay behind the stop line until it's clear all to proceed.

I don't really care if I hold you up. That doesn't bother me in the least.

Got a problem with that? Too bad. Take it up with the politicians you voted for who put in red light cameras.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to pull into the middle of the intersection and wait.

After red light cameras showed up, I stopped doing that. Now I stay behind the stop line until it's clear all to proceed.

I don't really care if I hold you up. That doesn't bother me in the least.

Got a problem with that? Too bad. Take it up with the politicians you voted for who put in red light cameras.

This is sort of a silly response - in DC at least there are very few red light cameras and I don't think MD or VA have any but I could be wrong.

And if you are in the intersection when the light turns red and are turning you won't get a ticket.

If you are in the intersection when the light turns and are going straight you will - and should - get a ticket. The law in all 3 local jurisdictions is you cannot enter an intersection unless you can clear it and if you don't clear when the light turns that is a red light violation.

[Anonymous]

Red light cameras will only give you a ticket if you crossed your intersection line after it turns red. If you make it into the intersection and it turns red after it won't give you a ticket. Look it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to pull into the middle of the intersection and wait.

After red light cameras showed up, I stopped doing that. Now I stay behind the stop line until it's clear all to proceed.

I don't really care if I hold you up. That doesn't bother me in the least.

Got a problem with that? Too bad. Take it up with the politicians you voted for who put in red light cameras.

This is sort of a silly response - in DC at least there are very few red light cameras and I don't think MD or VA have any but I could be wrong.

And if you are in the intersection when the light turns red and are turning you won't get a ticket.

If you are in the intersection when the light turns and are going straight you will - and should - get a ticket. The law in all 3 local jurisdictions is you cannot enter an intersection unless you can clear it and if you don't clear when the light turns that is a red light violation.

You would be wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Red light cameras will only give you a ticket if you crossed your intersection line after it turns red. If you make it into the intersection and it turns red after it won't give you a ticket. Look it up.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no trouble with this, but I thought you can get a ticket for being in the middle when the light turns red. Also, a lot of times even after the light turns red, the right turn lane never clears and you can't turn left into the road you wanted.

I've been confused about this ever since my DH made a left turn after doing what OP describes and immediately got pulled over by a cop. Nothing happened, but we were confused.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to pull into the middle of the intersection and wait.

After red light cameras showed up, I stopped doing that. Now I stay behind the stop line until it's clear all to proceed.

I don't really care if I hold you up. That doesn't bother me in the least.

Got a problem with that? Too bad. Take it up with the politicians you voted for who put in red light cameras.

This is sort of a silly response - in DC at least there are very few red light cameras and I don't think MD or VA have any but I could be wrong.

And if you are in the intersection when the light turns red and are turning you won't get a ticket.

If you are in the intersection when the light turns and are going straight you will - and should - get a ticket. The law in all 3 local jurisdictions is you cannot enter an intersection unless you can clear it and if you don't clear when the light turns that is a red light violation.

You would be wrong.

What am I wrong about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to pull into the middle of the intersection and wait.

After red light cameras showed up, I stopped doing that. Now I stay behind the stop line until it's clear all to proceed.

I don't really care if I hold you up. That doesn't bother me in the least.

Got a problem with that? Too bad. Take it up with the politicians you voted for who put in red light cameras.

This is sort of a silly response - in DC at least there are very few red light cameras and I don't think MD or VA have any but I could be wrong.

And if you are in the intersection when the light turns red and are turning you won't get a ticket.

If you are in the intersection when the light turns and are going straight you will - and should - get a ticket. The law in all 3 local jurisdictions is you cannot enter an intersection unless you can clear it and if you don't clear when the light turns that is a red light violation.

You would be wrong.

What am I wrong about?

There are red light camaeras in MD and Va.