+1
On a couple of occasions, I’ve even seen people walk in back of a truck that has an auditory backup warning.
What game were they playing in their phones?
Semi-related:
In my hometown, there is a controlled intersection that I recreated here, not precisely to scale. All available traffic light functions are colored in for each lane.
The arrows in each lane are self explanatory as to what drivers may do in them.
The ISSUE:
The green cycle begins, depending on traffic volume on the cross road, with a protected right-turn-only green arrow. Both left and right lane red balls remain illuminated during this cycle.
That green arrow, after a specified time, turns amber, in anticipation of full green for both lanes.
When I lived near this intersection and used it to get to work, the driver/s in front of me in that right lane would just sit there, on that protected green right arrow. Not all of them, but I’d say about half.
I would honk repeatedly, and the driver in front of me would just throw up their hands like “What you want me to do!”
After several such episodes, when the left lane was clear, I pulled around next to the driver, who by the way had deployed their right blinker indicator. I rolled down the passenger glass and politely stated,
“Hey there, you got a green arrow!”
The driver pointed at the sign next to the illuminated red ball “No turn on red, sir”.
I ended the debate there, by making my right turn around them, to their horror! The blue line in the second version illustrates my trajectory. They honked at me, but I was too gone by then.
So which, at this specific intersection takes precedence - the green arrow, or the no turn sign?
That sounds like a malfunction to me and needs to be reported to the proper authorities.
I see drivers that ignore the fact they are in left turn only or right turn only lanes.
1 Like
+1
In my area, the left turn only lanes also seem to serve as a way for BMW drivers to get ahead of everyone when driving straight ahead.
I have never heard anyone use that term for a red light.
The green turn arrow over rides the red light. Maybe I missed something.
3 Likes
I honestly never, in all my years of driving, paid attention to the function of the top light(red) when a protected turn arrow illuminated - until the years I started using the illustrated intersection daily, for work.
I will pay a lot more attention to the behavior of the red light from now on, where a green turn arrow is involved. Pvt: Is the red supposed to go out when a protected left or right turn arrow illuminates?
Not in the right turn only lane illustrated. Most, not all, but most drivers had their right turn blinkers on, and knew what that lane is for.
When I mentioned this situation to the city traffic engineer, he said he would look into “assigning someone to monitor the intersection to see if the green right arrow is bright enough”.
Just asking but, don’t most police depts. encourage obeying traffic lights, stop signs etc.? I just don’t undersatnd.
The period from May 2020 to about 2022 were tough years for police departments, considering the pandemic, and other factors.
In these parts there are definitely a few intersections w/complex right-hand-turn-rules. These are also some of the most dangerous intersections, and I try to avoid them, esp if I’m bicycling. A lot of traffic tickets get written there too. .
Well, it happened again today - in the town that I work in.
My diagram - mostly - applies to today’s incident. A driver was sitting on the green protected right turn arrow, and yes: red lights remained illuminated for both lanes , no turn on red sign, etc. I think the reds remain lit during left and or right protected arrows to prevent unauthorized movement where there isn’t a protected arrow.
Two of us honked at the lead driver camping on a green arrow in the right turn lane. Finally, they slowwwwlly turned right into the intersection, and other drivers zoomed around them in the left lane of the avenue we turned on to.
I think that PEBSAS is the code for what applies both in my hometown and my work town.