# Can I turn left on red light at crosswalk? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 17, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-turn-left-on-red-light-at-crosswalk/295031 "2005-03-17T19:13:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kezami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eb8c5e/32.png) [@kezami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kezami)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-turn-left-on-red-light-at-crosswalk/295031/1 "2005-03-17T19:13:46Z")
I drive my kids to school in the morning and on the route is a crosswalk with traffic lights (yellow, green, red). It is at this intersection that I need to turn left to proceed to my son’s school which is at the end of the block. Let me describe the intersection: It is a ‘T’ intersection with the crosswalk parallel to the vertical part of the T on the **left** side. The horizontal part of the T is the main street that I use to approach the crosswalk from **right to left**. When the light at the X-walk turns red and the traffic travelling from left to right come to a stop, why can’t I turn left after checking that there is no car attempting to take advantage of the red light to turn left from the intersecting street on my left? They would have to yield to me regardless of lights or not, since I’m on their right. There is only one set of lights at the intersection, at the X-walk, therefore it is not a controlled intersection. Am I wrong to assume that I can take advantage of the temporary stop in oncoming traffic to turn left and save some time? Everyone in front of me in the left-turning lane stops for the red light and proceeds on the green. It just makes sense to me that I should be able to turn left safely at the red light. Tell me why I’m wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-turn-left-on-red-light-at-crosswalk/295031/2 "2005-03-17T19:26:54Z")
I would say no. Left turn on red is permitted only when both streets involved are one way. I think of it this way: Right turn on red is permitted. In doing so, one could theoretically keep constant contact with the curb on the right, which is uninterrupted in terms of any possible vehiclular traffic. Likewise, if **both** streets are one way, one could theoretically keep constant contact with the uninterrupted curb on the left when turning left, hence left turn on red is permitted in this case (at least it is in Missouri). The point is that there is no possibility of oncoming traffic or cross traffic that’s not headed where you are turning. This is not the case in your scenario. In any situation where it is possible for oncoming or opposite-direction cross traffic to intersect your path, turn on red is not allowed. ---
**Author:** ![mattmorgan64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@mattmorgan64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mattmorgan64)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-turn-left-on-red-light-at-crosswalk/295031/3 "2005-03-17T19:30:23Z")
> [@kezami](#): > > Tell me why I’m wrong. Because you can never turn left at a red light, unless it’s a one way street and the rules say it’s OK, or you are the sheriff. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-turn-left-on-red-light-at-crosswalk/295031/4 "2005-03-18T01:01:36Z")
You know, now that I read the posts, It occurs to me that at one time I did hear that you could turn left on red, given both streets are one way. In efforts to lower my Insurance, I took a driving course at a driving school one week in the summer right after I got my license. The instructor finally came to turning **right** on red. He mentioned that in the state of Georgia it was legal to do so if it was clear. This implies that It is not legal in other states. Also I now recall that Red lights in Hawaii had another special law. Can some Hawaiian refresh my memory? What is your states law on Red light turning? What about turning at a stop sign with out stopping? ---
**Author:** ![Ms2001](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ms2001/32/18463_2.png) [@Ms2001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms2001)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-turn-left-on-red-light-at-crosswalk/295031/5 "2005-03-18T02:14:43Z")
> [@Gary T](#): > > I would say no. Left turn on red is permitted only when both streets involved are one way. In Washington, you can also turn left onto a one-way street from a two-way street at a red light. > [@](#): > > The point is that there is no possibility of oncoming traffic or cross traffic that’s not headed where you are turning. This is not the case in your scenario. In any situation where it is possible for oncoming or opposite-direction cross traffic to intersect your path, turn on red is not allowed. Turning from a two-way to a one-way, there are only two possibilities for traffic to cross your path: continuing on the one-way in the lane closest to you, or turning from that same one-way onto your street (again, from the one-way lane closest to you). The first possibility is also there when your street is a one-way, and you can handle the second possibility exactly the same way: look to your right and make sure no one’s approaching in the closest lane. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2005, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-turn-left-on-red-light-at-crosswalk/295031/6 "2005-03-18T05:41:44Z")
> [@Meeko](#): > > The instructor finally came to turning **right** on red. He mentioned that in the state of Georgia it was legal to do so if it was clear. This implies that It is not legal in other states. Left onto a one way street while on a one way street is fairly common I think, as is right on red. Except in NYC. Took getting a couple of warnings for me to remember that one in my youth.