Making a LEFT Hand Turn at a RED Light!!!

Its Me LuLuBelle2 · ‎10-12-2016

On 12/11 I started a post regarding different laws, in different states, regarding stopping for stopped shool buses with flashing red lights. Well today I learned for the first time in 65 years on Planet Earth (and 49 years of them driving) that not only are there states where you can make a right hand turn on red (which I did know) but in 37 states you can make a LEFT hand turn on red! Yowza! I apolgize, I'm no wizard with pictures and links, so if interested, please Google if interested.

I am not a believer in big government being involved in our day to day lives. I think states certainly should have rights that are not mandated/governed by the Feds. But, IMHO, traffic laws, coast to coast should be uniform. As a free society, we travel, we drive throughout our country and we should all be familiar with the same laws. Not so, apparently! Looking forward to your thoughts. LuLu

DiAnne · ‎09-22-2010

I have never heard of that but where I live the green left turn arrow turns to blinking yellow meaning you can turn left if it is safe.

SurferWife · ‎12-12-2010

@Its Me LuLuBelle2...yes, it is legal in most states to turn left on a red light when turning from a one-way onto a one-way.

Time is just a drop in the bucket compared to eternity. It isn’t how long you live that matters; it is how well you are prepared to die. ~~Colonel Robert B. Thieme, Jr.

sunshine45 · ‎03-09-2010

left on a solid red light is not legal in maryland.

left on a flashing red light after stopping is legal in maryland.

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"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." - Albert Einstein

Its Me LuLuBelle2 · ‎10-12-2016

@SurferWife wrote:
@Its Me LuLuBelle2...yes, it is legal in most states to turn left on a red light when turning from a one-way onto a one-way.

@SurferWife, and there are 4 states: Idaho, Michigan, Oregon and Washington where you can make a left on red from a two way street onto a one way street on red! The kicker is in NYC there is NO RIGHT on red, BUT in Broad Channel, Queens at several intersections along Cross Bay Boulevard, the four lane throughfare that runs from mainland Queens through Broad Channel to the Rockaways, drivers can turn left onto two way streets, provided they stop first.

It's enough to make your head spin (or at least mine - lol)!

VanSleepy · ‎10-05-2010

I never heard of this so I just looked it up. I'm glad to see it is not allowed in my state.

GCR18 · ‎07-03-2013

I haven't come across it.

Venezia · ‎03-09-2010

Nor mine. Sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

It's amazing that anyone can travel to another state without making some traffic violation, with all the inconsistencies in traffic law.

January121 · ‎03-21-2010

I live part time in NY & NJ ..... to the best of my knowledge we cannot do this in either state & I think it is for the best🙃

Its Me LuLuBelle2 · ‎10-12-2016

@Venezia wrote:
Nor mine. Sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

It's amazing that anyone can travel to another state without making some traffic violation, with all the inconsistencies in traffic law.

@Venezia, and that's my point. I'm a NY'er who is a Florida snowbird. In NY you MUST stop on a divided highway for a stopped school bus with flashing red lights in the opposite direction. In Florida you do not. You only have to stop in the same direction. One of my Florida neighbors got a huge traffic ticket and fine in NY for NOT stopping in the opposite direction as you don't have to in Florida. We set out of state visitors up with the inconsistent traffic laws.