Why do so many people run red lights now?

[Anonymous]

See this so often, people are now treating red lights like stop signs. If there aren’t any cars around they just go. I honestly haven’t witnessed this type of thing before 2-3 years ago.

[Anonymous]

I noticed it during the pandemic and it’s continued.

DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:See this so often, people are now treating red lights like stop signs. If there aren’t any cars around they just go. I honestly haven’t witnessed this type of thing before 2-3 years ago.

They are just following the rules that bikers do.

[Anonymous]

This was common 30 years ago to avoid being car jacked.

[Anonymous]

The same reason that people speed way over 10 mph over the speed limit. People are in a hurry and no longer care to follow rules that inconvenience them.

It's far better than the people who drive up in the straight lanes, and then the cut diagonally into the front of the left turn lane blocking part of the intersection and blocking part of the lane they just left, just so that they can be the first to turn left when the arrow turns green. They don't care that they are impeding the path of people all around them just for their 30 seconds of extra convenience.

Or the people on the highways that travel two or three lanes to the left and then decide at the last minute to exit crossing three lanes to get off the ramp, slowing down during their entire swerve, making other cars slam on their brakes to avoid tee-boning the lunatic.

[Anonymous]

I think it's a sign of how our country is descending into chaos, honestly. I think once Trump was elected and for four years he basically told the country that he plays by his own rules (remember his explanations for how little in tax he paid? because he was "smarter"), it made people subconsciously (or consciously) think "am I being a sucker? everyone else cheats and gets more than me as a result, so I might as well cheat too." And in comes out in small ways like running stop lights. Add to that, traffic enforcement, beyond the use of cameras is basically non-existent. And the cameras are infuriating, so at light where there are no cameras I can see how people can justify their need, their right to run the red light.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:See this so often, people are now treating red lights like stop signs. If there aren’t any cars around they just go. I honestly haven’t witnessed this type of thing before 2-3 years ago.

People don't even treat them like stop signs, they just run right through without stopping at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's a sign of how our country is descending into chaos, honestly. I think once Trump was elected and for four years he basically told the country that he plays by his own rules (remember his explanations for how little in tax he paid? because he was "smarter"), it made people subconsciously (or consciously) think "am I being a sucker? everyone else cheats and gets more than me as a result, so I might as well cheat too." And in comes out in small ways like running stop lights. Add to that, traffic enforcement, beyond the use of cameras is basically non-existent. And the cameras are infuriating, so at light where there are no cameras I can see how people can justify their need, their right to run the red light.

Agreed. I think Trump permanently changed our social order - people who follow the rules are “suckers.” So now everyone wants to take something for themselves - shoplifting, driving like a selfish maniac, parking in a handicapped spot, violating the HOA lane rules, fibbing on their taxes, etc.

All the stuff coming out about Clarence Thomas is just reinforcing the lawlessness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:See this so often, people are now treating red lights like stop signs. If there aren’t any cars around they just go. I honestly haven’t witnessed this type of thing before 2-3 years ago.

They are just following the rules that bikers do.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's a sign of how our country is descending into chaos, honestly. I think once Trump was elected and for four years he basically told the country that he plays by his own rules (remember his explanations for how little in tax he paid? because he was "smarter"), it made people subconsciously (or consciously) think "am I being a sucker? everyone else cheats and gets more than me as a result, so I might as well cheat too." And in comes out in small ways like running stop lights. Add to that, traffic enforcement, beyond the use of cameras is basically non-existent. And the cameras are infuriating, so at light where there are no cameras I can see how people can justify their need, their right to run the red light.

Agreed. I think Trump permanently changed our social order - people who follow the rules are “suckers.” So now everyone wants to take something for themselves - shoplifting, driving like a selfish maniac, parking in a handicapped spot, violating the HOA lane rules, fibbing on their taxes, etc.

All the stuff coming out about Clarence Thomas is just reinforcing the lawlessness.

Clarence Thomas had been doing it for like 20 years.

[Anonymous]

traffic divisions of police departments no longer have the resources to have officers monitor traffic.

they can't even staff a shift to cover their regular work schedule.

[Anonymous]

I think part of the problem is lights are messed up. You hit red lights at every intersection. Eventually people get fed up with red lights with long waits at every intersection. It's frustrating. Constitution Ave. used to have this thing where if traffic was flowing at the posted speed limit (25mph), lights would remain green. Everyone was careful to go the speed limit. The lights cooperated. At least that is the explanation I got when I asked why Constitution was easy to drive on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:See this so often, people are now treating red lights like stop signs. If there aren’t any cars around they just go. I honestly haven’t witnessed this type of thing before 2-3 years ago.

They are just following the rules that bikers do.

^This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think part of the problem is lights are messed up. You hit red lights at every intersection. Eventually people get fed up with red lights with long waits at every intersection. It's frustrating. Constitution Ave. used to have this thing where if traffic was flowing at the posted speed limit (25mph), lights would remain green. Everyone was careful to go the speed limit. The lights cooperated. At least that is the explanation I got when I asked why Constitution was easy to drive on?

Yes, in DC specifically, the lights are timed terribly. Years ago, they were timed great. They were timed in a way to actually move people through the city. Now cars get caught at every light. All that idling is terrible for the environment and raises drivers' blood pressure. It's unhealthy, inefficient and infuriating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:See this so often, people are now treating red lights like stop signs. If there aren’t any cars around they just go. I honestly haven’t witnessed this type of thing before 2-3 years ago.

Because no one gets tickets for this! I see it EVERYDAY!!!!