Is turning right on Red legal in all 50 states?

[Meeko]

@suranyi

Whoops, missed this message.

Well, that’s what I recall reading in newspapers at the time, in any case. The idea was that having fewer cars idling at red lights would save gas. It might be hard to find a cite thirty years later.

One better for you, I have heard, more than once, that UPS will literally go out of their way to just make right turns when turning into traffic. That is, they pre-route the driving, to minimize left hand turns.

The thinking is, is that turning left also means waiting [idling]. Apparently, turning right three times beats waiting for oncomming traffic the opposite way.

[SmackFu]

@Meeko

How does a visitor to the island become informed of this?

As a visitor, this is really rough around the long-term parking lots at JFK. You can’t turn right on red, and the lights take forever and there is not even any other traffic 90% of the day.

[Gbro]

I know this is related to the 50 states, BUT
When I was in Thunderbay Ontario there were signs that used wording I didn’t get and from what I was told it was to allow a right turn on red.
Anyone know this sign I am thinking of??

[Sunspace]

@Gbro

I know this is related to the 50 states, BUT
When I was in Thunderbay Ontario there were signs that used wording I didn’t get and from what I was told it was to allow a right turn on red.
Anyone know this sign I am thinking of??

The standard Ontario sign for ’ no right turn on red’ is a right-turn arrow in a red circle and slash above a stoplight symbol with the red light coloured in… is that the one you’re thinking of?

[Gbro]

@Sunspace

The standard Ontario sign for ’ no right turn on red’ is a right-turn arrow in a red circle and slash above a stoplight symbol with the red light coloured in… is that the one you’re thinking of?

This was 15+ years ago and there were words associated with the sign. Those words were what was strange to me. Mabe that sing was to allow the turn??

[ZenBeam]

@Meeko

One better for you, I have heard, more than once, that UPS will literally go out of their way to just make right turns when turning into traffic. That is, they pre-route the driving, to minimize left hand turns.

The thinking is, is that turning left also means waiting [idling]. Apparently, turning right three times beats waiting for oncomming traffic the opposite way.

They wouldn’t necessarily make three right turns to avoid a red. Instead, they could make the route so that it, e.g. goes in the opposite direction in that part, to make a single right turn.

I do something similar myself: If I’ve got two stores to go to, I’ll choose the order I go to them, to minimize left turns, especially left turns from a store onto the road. Left turns into a store aren’t that bad.

[Keeve]

@Billdo

FYI, it is not just Manhattan, but all five boroughs of the City in which it is not permitted. There are signs on the major highways leading into the City.

I drive from NJ into NYC quite often, and can’t recall the last time I saw any such such. I will try to look more carefully next week.

[Sunspace]

@Gbro

This was 15+ years ago and there were words associated with the sign. Those words were what was strange to me. Mabe that sing was to allow the turn??

Here’s the official MTO page.. The No Right Turn On Red sign is partway down. I’m googling around to find historical road signs but haven’t had much luck yet.

[Polycarp]

Can I be a small amount of a dick in GQ in a good cause?

“Right turns on red” are not legal anywhere. “Right turns on red after stopping when safe” are generally legal, with the exceptions noted above.

I’ve seen too many people who believe the size of their ego entitles them to special privilege take the “right on red” authorization as giving them the right of way, even over traffic proceeding with the green light. So I wanted to underscore the permissive, concessive value of the law.