Cities Across The Country Are Making Right Turn On Red Illegal. What Do You Think?

The more you know.

I never knew that not turning on red was such a big issue, but apparently, it is. Cities all across America are now making right turns on red illegal.

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In fact, they have never been legal in New York City. Other big cities are now following suit like Chicago, San Francisco, etc. They are saying that the reason behind this is the amount of pedestrian and bicycle accidents is increasing. The last year total in 2022 was 7500 pedestrians hurt from cars turning right on red.

A history of the law.

The reason that this was first enacted back in the early 70s was for energy consumption and unnecessary fuel burning while idling that could contribute to changes in the weather. On the other hand, it leads to less traffic congestion allowing cars to move through intersections when the opportunity arises.

The biggest problem.

A great point was made this morning: that if you follow the law and come to a complete stop before turning, it wouldn't be a problem but people roll right on through creating the hazard. There are numerous places that they have deemed too dangerous for right-on red turns and I have absolutely no problem with that.

I also thought that bicyclists were supposed to get off their bikes when crossing the street if they were on the sidewalk. Those bike lanes on the right of traffic can also be a hazardous blind spot. All in all, I think the benefits for the traffic outweigh the potential hazards. At least in Billings.

See ya tomorrow at 5.