$200 dollars? yikes, photo radar sucks.

Left turns on red lights should be a lawful traffic maneuver.

It's about damn time.

BGates:Left turns on red lights should be a lawful traffic maneuver.

It is in most states. Check your local ordinances.

But don't check your local ordnances. You'll end up on Fark.

/in Florida, left-on-red is legal, as long as both roads are one-way.
//Do it from or to a two-way street and you'll get a ticket.

BGates:Left turns on red lights should be a lawful traffic maneuver.

They are, if you are smart brave enough to enter the intersection on green (or yellow) while waiting to turn.

Entering the intersection on red is outlawed. If you're already there, then move along.

Phoenix is camera crazy now.

Sucks.

I don't understand this story. Scottsdale has had red light cameras for years. All this time at Shea and Hayden they snap people running the red light (left or standard).

What am I missing here that makes this a new story.

What kind of traffic cop asshole is submitting and greenlighting today? This is not Spiffy.

This will significantly slow the flow of traffic wherever they put those cameras.

Dear god, if they ever did this in Pittsburgh the national deficit would be paid off within a week.

/there's a reason it's called a Pittsburgh left

Beware NASCAR emulators!

I don't mind the first two or three guys that squeeze through after the light turns red, but it's the next seven or eight guys that are the problem.

So? Don't freakin' break the law.

Petition for Asinine tag.

Making a left on red is pretty much the only way a left turn gets made in LA, as far as I've seen.

Kiribub:So? Don't freakin' break the law.

That's the awesome part!! You can get a ticket from a camera for NOT breaking the law.

I installed 3M film on my plate that lets me opaque it via flip of the switch due to red light cameras, so I'm getting a kick....

This isn't in Phoenix, its in the Scottsdale People's Republic.

cash grab

King Something:
/in Florida, left-on-red is legal, as long as both roads are one-way.
//Do it from or to a two-way street and you'll get a ticket.

Same in Texas. I do it all the time (there's one freeway overpass I go under every day and turn left at the light), and the guy behind me NEVER follows. And I've never seen anyone else do it.

/no, there's no red left-arrow on the light in question
//THAT would make it an illegal turn
///In former Soviet Republic of Russia, red light runs YOU.
////Did the filter get me?

Ok then...I will just sit my ass in the middle of the intersection when the light turns red instead of turn. That should help traffic flow....

The light near my office, if you don't run the red you won't get through. If they're giving tickets hand them out to the idiots who pull up to a yellow then crawl out into the intersection as their light goes red, effectively blocking the intersection. if too many people run the red then need to change the timer a bit.

There is a nice light in Chesapeake, VA. Turning off of 64 onto Battlefield Blvd after the construction. Stupid light had 15 cars at it...and only 3 could go before it rolled into a red.

King Something:BGates:Left turns on red lights should be a lawful traffic maneuver.

It is in most states. Check your local ordinances.

But don't check your local ordnances. You'll end up on Fark.

/in Florida, left-on-red is legal, as long as both roads are one-way.
//Do it from or to a two-way street and you'll get a ticket.

I do it from two lane roads all the time. On my way to work, I regularly run two separate left turn red lights. This is only when the road is empty in all directions and I have a clear view of all oncoming traffic.

If you can't enter while on green/yellow, that means heavily traffic both directions will result in never turning left.

It should be legal, or there should be more protected left turns. I've got no problem with either.

rufus-t-firefly:

Same in Texas. I do it all the time (there's one freeway overpass I go under every day and turn left at the light), and the guy behind me NEVER follows. And I've never seen anyone else do it.



I'll make left turns all the time when I don't have the green arrow, and the sign says "left turn signal" (as opposed to "left on arrow only"). Never had anyone follow me either.

/why waste the gas if you are clear to go?

NewcastleBrownAle:Ok then...I will just sit my ass in the middle of the intersection when the light turns red instead of turn. That should help traffic flow....

Wrong.

If you are in the middle of the intersection, waiting to turn left, you are legally allowed to turn after the red light (in Texas). As an extension, you are legally allowed to drive to the middle of the intersection on a green light, and wait to turn left. You do not need to wait behind the line. In fact, you should not.

Double wrong because traffic cams only catch you crossing the line, so if you were 'in the intersection' already, they wouldn't flash you.

Little fuzzy on my left turns to one ways, but I thought it was if you were turning ON to a one way you could make a left against the light, regardless of wether you're on a one-way. If I'm wrong, I've been breaking the law a lot, and would like to be advised.

Only problems with red left turns in Chicago seem to be at larger intersections, like 6 corners. Otherwise, for the most part, only 2 cars go thru. I'm not sure what the law allows but I think all large intersections should have a "left turn on green arrow only" light. Then again, how else is a municipality supposed to generate revenue, right?

azmoviez:I don't understand this story. Scottsdale has had red light cameras for years. All this time at Shea and Hayden they snap people running the red light (left or standard).

What am I missing here that makes this a new story.

Rgr that. I think the "story" here is that the current Scottsdale system is being "upgraded" to match the Mesa system. In Mesa, if you don't get at least the nose of your car past the prolongation of the curb line, you get flashed making a left at an arrow.

To answer the other poster, this won't affect "optional greens" for lefts, only hard arrows.

Much as I don't like the municipalities enacting a revenue-generating scheme and calling it a safety need, people really do "tailgate" the left arrows pretty badly in the Phoenix metro. You can be in front at your green and sit there while three more left-turners amble their way past you. It gets bad when the lead lefter is an out-of-towner and brakes suddenly for whatever reason (sees a bus, realizes he has to go into the plaza that's right there, etc) and you get bump-bump-bump and plenty of nice, pleasant DELAY while the cops sort it all out.

kroonermanblack:NewcastleBrownAle:Ok then...I will just sit my ass in the middle of the intersection when the light turns red instead of turn. That should help traffic flow....

Wrong.

If you are in the middle of the intersection, waiting to turn left, you are legally allowed to turn after the red light (in Texas). As an extension, you are legally allowed to drive to the middle of the intersection on a green light, and wait to turn left. You do not need to wait behind the line. In fact, you should not.

Double wrong because traffic cams only catch you crossing the line, so if you were 'in the intersection' already, they wouldn't flash you.

Little fuzzy on my left turns to one ways, but I thought it was if you were turning ON to a one way you could make a left against the light, regardless of wether you're on a one-way. If I'm wrong, I've been breaking the law a lot, and would like to be advised.


You are wrong.

A left at a red is allowed only from a one way onto a one way.

Typical Fark armchair anarchist circle jerk thread. Yes, yes, all the cops are out to GET you and they just want your money and YOU can run red lights safely so big brother needs to leave you alone. blah blah blah. Have your fun. I'm out.

I wonder how much gas would be saved nationwide if every state enacted new legislation making red lights effectively stop signs. We've all at one point pulled up to a perfectly straight on intersection and looked left, right, and ahead and seen nothing coming for 500 feet, only to sit there grumbling for 30 seconds anyway. My guess is that accidents would increase by 2% but fatalities would not, as most intersection accidents cause only minor injuries. Also we'd save several thousand barrels of oil a day, which is probably worth it.

Tommy Moo:I wonder how much gas would be saved nationwide if every state enacted new legislation making red lights effectively stop signs. We've all at one point pulled up to a perfectly straight on intersection and looked left, right, and ahead and seen nothing coming for 500 feet, only to sit there grumbling for 30 seconds anyway. My guess is that accidents would increase by 2% but fatalities would not, as most intersection accidents cause only minor injuries. Also we'd save several thousand barrels of oil a day, which is probably worth it.

Actually, they just need to put in additional sensors at a distance or cameras or something, along with actual intelligence. It's amazing that after decades, traffic lights are as stupid as they've ever been. Ever been sitting alone at a red light for 30 seconds while there is nobody at the crossing green, only to have the cross-light turn red just in time to stop one lone car?

Nobody read the article.

It clearly states that if any part of the vehicle is in the intersection before the light turns red there will not be a ticket.

So this is going to ticket people that run red lights and happen to turn left. And also, turning left on a red from a one-way to another one-way is not legal in all states. This may be one of the states, which actually makes sense.

Larry the Fish:A left at a red is allowed only from a one way onto a one way.

Is that true for every state?

timmy_the_tooth:This will significantly slow the flow of traffic wherever they put those cameras.

And? That doesn't mean they should let people run red lights.

The reason this is Spiffy™ is because Snobsdale Scottsdale has decided to set up their traffic lights in multiple retarded ways.

Let's say you're driving northbound in Snobsdale Scottsdale and you have to go westbound. This means that you have to make a left turn. When you get to the crossroads, you get on the turning lanes and wait your turn to turn (pun intended). Your turn to turn will come AFTER the northbound/southbound traffic has had a chance to continue northbound/southbound. By this point, people are pissed and in a hurry so they floor it on the left-turns... and voila!: auto accidents galore!!

Along with traffic lights that are set up in such a way that you have to stop at every single one (even if you're doing the speed limit), Snobsdale Scottsdale is the only city in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area that engages in this "practice"... and they refuse to change it simply because they don't want to be like the other 20+ cities in the Metropolitan Area.

Got a ticket on a right turn at a corner. On a deserted street. At a red light. $400.

Thank you, San Diego.

fuzzycuffsIf you can't enter while on green/yellow, that means heavily traffic both directions will result in never turning left.

It should be legal, or there should be more protected left turns. I've got no problem with either.

FTA However, police say drivers can still turn left if any part of their vehicle is in the intersection before it turns red.

I don't see how this is a problem. Get your ass into the intersection and turn on the yellow or red, depending on the oncoming traffic. It'd help if there weren't so many pussies who are afraid to enter the intersection more than by three inches, but that's neither here nor there.

in san francisco there's so many one way streets and "no left turn" signs you learn quick to go straight and make three rights. sometimes two rights if the block is triangular.

/and sometimes you just can't get there from here

King Something:as long as both roads are one-way.

Oh, I got ya. I'm used to only right-on-red. Left on red just fries my mind. I've been tempted at 2am at a deserted intersection, but this town uses a medley of cars for squad cars and it's tough to tell which dark shape is a cop.

You know, there'd be less of this asshattery (both on the part of local government and red light runners) if the local gub'ments would smarten up and adopt smarter signaling systems. With it being the 21st century and all and gas heading toward $5/Gal., (or so the speculators hope) it's time for this technology. I personally think it sucks to sit - like a good little prole and law-abiding citizen - at a red light at 2am with your car idling, just waiting for it to turn green - with NO farking cars in sight; essentially no reason at all.

The technology is out there for smarter traffic signaling. But I suspect the local governments like that status quo. It's more profitable.

filth:What kind of traffic cop asshole is submitting and greenlighting today? This is not Spiffy.

Yeah how dare those bastards. It's my right to break traffic laws whenever I want and I should have a fair chance of not getting caught. Farking fascists!

So for all these years RLC's have been used they didn't do squat to fine the left turn conga liners? Now I know they have been and continue to be a scam. Now I know why the only way the damn things were profitable was to use them with a short yellow signal, they didn't even touch the congaliners.

The left turn congaliners are in my estimation about 95% of the intentional red light running.

Just set the yellow light to be long like they did to reduce red light running to near zero in 70s and use the cameras on the conga liners.

Or they could, you know, make it so that left turn signals last more than 5-7 seconds.

Can we also ticket the guy at the front who goes 10MPH through the left turn, ensuring that only 3-5 cars out of the 20 in line will make it?

CruiserTwelve:I don't mind the first two or three guys that squeeze through after the light turns red, but it's the next seven or eight guys that are the problem.

I find the people who wait through a light for the next one, who are MESMERIZED by the candylike shiny green light and wait halfway through the second cycle more annoying. They act like its never happened and they can't see even 10 seconds into the future. I really enjoy counting how few make it through the turn legally vs. those who go during the pause before traffic in the other direction gets impatient.

I find a general ratio of 4 on green to 5-7 on the yellow/red.

MIguyYeah how dare those bastards. It's my right to break traffic laws whenever I want and I should have a fair chance of not getting caught. Farking fascists!

Your newsletter. Let me order it.

Seriously, though, this morning I went out to Meijer to buy a WII. I drove along one of the busiest streets in town. It has lots of stoplights where it crosses entrances to subdivisions and the mall. The main street carries 95%+ of the traffic, but the lights default to red on the main artery. fark that, I ran about 8 reds, though stopping at most first.

Don't want people to break the law? Make laws reasonable.

Scientician:Making a left on red is pretty much the only way a left turn gets made in LA, as far as I've seen.

Came here to say this.

otterly_delicious:Got a ticket on a right turn at a corner. On a deserted street. At a red light. $400.

Thank you, San Diego. Pomerado and Ted Williams FTW.

And this.

NewcastleBrownAle:Ok then...I will just sit my ass in the middle of the intersection when the light turns red instead of turn. That should help traffic flow....

read the article.

My problem with red light cameras is that I do alot of driving between 2 and 5 am. During that time in my area, several lights have red lights that can last more than 20 minutes. These aren't flashing red lights, these are just red lights that don't change, and the other lights are green constantly. Great if you've got the green, sucks ass if you got the red. Like an intersection less than a mile from where I live, it's on the access road. The road through the intersection that goes over the freeway has the constant green, the access road has the constant red. This intersection (like the others set up like this) have cameras, so it's almost like the city is trying to make you run the red light.

Personally, I feel that we need to switch to a system where after 2 am and before 6:30 am, if you're at an intersection and it's clear (and as long as it's unobstructed due to a fence, low tree branch, sudden curve/downhill slope in the road past the intersecton) you should be free to go without fear of a ticket. In many ways I would like to see that applied to non busy zones (like residential zones) between the hours of 7pm and 6:30 am.

Yay! More non-crimes that you can tax citizens for without a trial! Yay!

Perfect scheme.