# Do you look both ways when the light turns green before you go? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 20, 2015, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033 "2015-11-20T01:21:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/41 "2015-11-21T16:04:12Z")
A couple of weeks ago I was driving along and an ambulance passed by with lights and sirens going. It was dusk and the lights really stood out. There was a light ahead which just turned red and the ambulance went through it, slowing down a bit. A car came out of the side street, turning left into the ambulance, which tried to avoid it by going into the right lane. It looked like the car was chasing it as the driver was also trying to get into the same lane. Here in Taiwan, the traffic rules are sold in the fiction section of bookstores. Most drivers will honk as a curtsey but some don’t. I got nailed once on a bicycle by a scooter once just after we move here. Both of the kids were strapped into their kids’ seats and had helmets so they were OK, but it sure shook me up. The kids were crying because they were surprised and I went all daddy grizzly on the poor woman who clipped us. I had rolled off the bike and she had gone to help the kids so I screamed at her to get the fuck away from them. It wasn’t one of my better moments. I drive a scooter now and you have to watch everything. Might makes right here, and cars assume you will get out of their way. Other scooters will shoot out of side streets and not even look to see who is coming. There are elderly drivers who can barely see zipping down the road. One of them turned in front of a friend, and he was the one to get the ticket. Just this morning when I was taking the family to the bus station in our car, I was waiting for a left turn and had a driver try to pass me from behind in the intersection. It was one of those WTF? seriously? moments. He floored it to try to beat me into the turn. I didn’t yield to him, so he had to brake which pissed him off. He drove right up to my bumper then finally got around me. Insane. One of the problems is that the police just don’t enforce the laws that much and they don’t ticket people, even in accidents if the parties come to an agreement on payments. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/42 "2015-11-21T16:13:31Z")
You betcha! I’m a pedestrian and three times I’ve damn near been killed despite looking all around–Once by an old woman who ran a red light, once by a guy who ran a stop sign, and the worst time–I’m starting to cross the street when I read a very loud squeal of breaks. I stop immediately, and a car going about 60 mph turns into the crosswalk and keeps going without signaling or stopping. I look up at the street and see the guy who hit the breaks is now up on the sidewalk. If he hadn’t been there, I would have been hit and probably killed. People be stupid. And dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/43 "2015-11-21T17:14:53Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > . > One of the problems is that the police just don’t enforce the laws that much and they don’t ticket people, . This is the biggest problem. Even if the car running the red light with a cop car sitting at the intersection. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/44 "2015-11-21T20:56:36Z")
I was stopped at a red light in a No. 1 lane (left-hand); the driver stopped in the lane to my right also stopped–we were both the first cars in line in our lanes–but this other driver actually pulled out into the intersection before the red light turned green! :eek: She collided with a legally-proceeding car on the cross street. That driver didn’t speak English, but a cop who appeared spoke Spanish and took his statement. Also mine. Later the woman’s insurance company phoned me and I gave them a statement; I bet they cancelled her policy. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/45 "2015-11-21T22:21:05Z")
I always look both ways, even when crossing a one way street. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/46 "2015-11-21T23:44:00Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > I always look both ways, even when crossing a one way street. - 1 ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/47 "2015-11-22T10:37:51Z")
Absolutely I look. The main danger around here is bicyclists, who believe that traffic signals don’t apply to them. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/48 "2015-11-22T16:22:41Z")
That’s a danger here, too. I’ve been a licensed driver for 46 years and bike riders (those resembling racing bikers seem to do this more often) have a worse approach to courtesy and the rules of the road than anyone behind the wheel, or on foot. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/49 "2015-11-22T17:23:11Z")
Many more problems come from not being careful enough than from being too careful. I’ve gotten much more rigorous about checking all directions at intersections. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/50 "2015-11-22T17:26:27Z")
Yup. I also wait around 2 or 3 seconds before I look to really make sure it’s clear ---
**Author:** ![littlespeedysuperbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@littlespeedysuperbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/littlespeedysuperbike)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/51 "2015-11-22T18:10:30Z")
Nope. I look both ways starting when the opposing lanes get their yellow light, so I know whether I’ll be clear to go immediately or not. If I’m first at a light, and the intersection will be clear at the end of the yellow, I don’t wait for the green. I look at the red light and when it turns off I let off the brake or clutch. It’s usually worth about a car-length over looking for the green. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2015, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/52 "2015-11-22T23:09:03Z")
I look, unless there’s a huge truck running interference for me and blocking the view. All kinds of dumb things can happen. I once, as a pedestrian, got hit by a car which going in reverse the wrong way on a one way street through a red light. I also once saved a friend from getting hit by stepping off a curb after he looked the wrong way – we’re Americans and were in Scotland and jet lagged… ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/53 "2015-11-24T13:54:06Z")
I wait and look both ways when I’m first in line a the light. When I’m not first, I still scan right and left while approaching the intersection. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/54 "2015-11-24T15:03:09Z")
Absolutely. The worst accident I was ever in involved a driver perpendicular to us on the left running a red light. I never assume someone is going to stop when they’re supposed to. And I’ve spent enough time in Las Vegas to know that in some locales, running red lights is a way of life. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/55 "2015-11-24T15:13:06Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > I heard that the most common response heard by insurance adjusters was: > “I didn’t see him” Or its cousin: “…came from out of nowhere.” No. No he didn’t. Nobody’s got a teleporter on their car. Makes me cringe when I hear it because two things: 1) The speaker wasn’t paying attention (or else they would have seen where the other guy came from) and 2) they’re going to disagree with me when I point that out. And yeah, green lights are merely permission to go, not a guaranty of safety should you choose to proceed. You’ve still got to make sure it’s safe to proceed. ---
**Author:** ![TommyzNR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@TommyzNR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TommyzNR)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/56 "2015-11-24T15:49:35Z")
My Grandmother taught me to look both ways on green and it has saved my ass too. However, I ran a red once several years ago and it scared the daylights out of me. It was a nice sunny afternoon, my direction had a red as I approached the intersection at 45 mph. I distinctly remember my brain saying the light is red, good to go! I blew through the intersection, looking both ways and midway through I said WTF??? I didn’t hit anybody and there wasn’t even a close call but I was really rattled that my brain processed the light wrong. Nothing similar has ever happened either before or since this incident. No drugs, alcohol, cell phone or screaming kids were involved. I am rattled again by it now after reading this thread. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/57 "2015-11-24T15:54:43Z")
[quote=“JohnGalt, post:13, topic:738033”] I work in a small town in Minnesota, which has three (!) stoplights. Every time I’ve seen someone runs a red light in this town, it’s been an old person. They just don’t seem to see the color “red” and drive as if the lights don’t matter to them. Just out of curiosity do your signals hang from wires or are they mounted on polls. I have run several of the hanging type when going through small towns, for some reason my eyes just don’t see them unless I am consciously looking for them. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/58 "2015-11-24T16:47:58Z")
[quote=“HoneyBadgerDC, post:57, topic:738033”] > [@JohnGalt](#): > > I work in a small town in Minnesota, which has three (!) stoplights. Every time I’ve seen someone runs a red light in this town, it’s been an old person. They just don’t seem to see the color “red” and drive as if the lights don’t matter to them. > Just out of curiosity do your signals hang from wires or are they mounted on polls. I have run several of the hanging type when going through small towns, for some reason my eyes just don’t see them unless I am consciously looking for them. They must feel all macho running down pedestrians. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![HowSoonIsThen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@HowSoonIsThen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HowSoonIsThen)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/59 "2015-11-25T03:40:16Z")
> [@TommyzNR](#): > > My Grandmother taught me to look both ways on green and it has saved my ass too. > > However, I ran a red once several years ago and it scared the daylights out of me. It was a nice sunny afternoon, my direction had a red as I approached the intersection at 45 mph. I distinctly remember my brain saying the light is red, good to go! I blew through the intersection, looking both ways and midway through I said WTF??? I didn’t hit anybody and there wasn’t even a close call but I was really rattled that my brain processed the light wrong. Nothing similar has ever happened either before or since this incident. No drugs, alcohol, cell phone or screaming kids were involved. I am rattled again by it now after reading this thread. Once I was driving at night and approaching what I thought was a green light. Suddenly, before I got to the lights, I slammed on my brakes because someone coming from the left or right just sailed through the intersection. But then I looked again and relised the lights actually red for me. I’m not sure whether I was just tired and mistook red for green, or whether it was green and I didn’t notice it change, but it scared the shit out of me. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2015, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033/60 "2015-12-09T05:57:52Z")
> [@HowSoonIsThen](#): > > Once I was driving at night and approaching what I thought was a green light. Suddenly, before I got to the lights, I slammed on my brakes because someone coming from the left or right just sailed through the intersection. But then I looked again and relised the lights actually red for me. > > I’m not sure whether I was just tired and mistook red for green, or whether it was green and I didn’t notice it change, but it scared the shit out of me. Sayyyy, you weren’t driving that 18-wheeler who ran the red light the ONE TIME I didn’t check…? My Yaris got crushed like a… well, a Yaris. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-look-both-ways-when-the-light-turns-green-before-you-go/738033.md?page=4)