# Little Q - Left on a Red Light **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 4, 2006, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-q-left-on-a-red-light/347016 "2006-03-04T04:26:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-q-left-on-a-red-light/347016/1 "2006-03-04T04:26:35Z")
For the first time ever today, I encountered this situation: I was waiting to turn left, and the light was red. However, the street I was turning left on to was a one-way street, and I was on a one-way street in the far left lane. There was no sign saying no left turns. No cars were coming Is it still illegal to turn left on red in this situation? I live in Los Angeles, if it makes a difference. (as tempted as I was, I didn’t try it. But all along I sat there wondering if I could) ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-q-left-on-a-red-light/347016/2 "2006-03-04T04:30:13Z")
I got my license in Ohio in 1995 and if I remember correctly it was perfectly legal to turn left on red in this situation. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-q-left-on-a-red-light/347016/3 "2006-03-04T04:34:46Z")
Unless LA has a law that differs than the rest of CA, it is legal to make a left turn in that situation. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-q-left-on-a-red-light/347016/4 "2006-03-04T06:06:30Z")
It’s also legal in MA. But, I’ve only come across this in one place and the concept of turning left on red kinda screws with my reality so I have a hard time doing it. I actually avoid that street whenever I’m in that town because that intersection just disturbs me somehow. ---
**Author:** ![brad\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@brad\_d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brad_d)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-q-left-on-a-red-light/347016/5 "2006-03-04T06:55:45Z")
To confirm what **psycat90** said, it’s quite legal in California. Here’s chapter and verse from the vehicle code: > [@](#): > > **[California Vehicle Code Section 21453](http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc21453.htm)** > **(a)** A driver facing a steady circular red signal alone shall stop at a marked limit line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection, and shall remain stopped until an indication to proceed is shown, except as provided in subdivision (b). > > **(b)** **Except when a sign is in place prohibiting a turn, a driver, after stopping as required by subdivision (a), facing a steady circular red signal, may turn right, or turn left from a one-way street onto a one-way street.** A driver making that turn shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to any vehicle that has approached or is approaching so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard to the driver, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to that vehicle until the driver can proceed with reasonable safety. > > _ **©** and **(d)** omitted as not relevant here._ Bolding mine. Left-on-red from one one-way street onto another is OK. This may well vary from state to state, so I won’t do it anywhere but California unless I happen to know it’s legal in that jurisdiction, too. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-q-left-on-a-red-light/347016/6 "2006-03-04T08:06:40Z")
This is one of those really crazy exceptions that I always figured would just never happen. Like the one where four people get to a stop sign at the same time. The one coming from the north (or something) should go first technically, UNLESS all four are turning right. I remember reading that and thinking “Right, like that will EVER happen.” But apparently this one-way to one-way thing does happen sometimes. I’ve probably seen that somewhere, but never with a light, always with stop signs. What streets are these; I want to see them! ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-q-left-on-a-red-light/347016/7 "2006-03-04T08:10:47Z")
> [@TJdude825](#): > > But apparently this one-way to one-way thing does happen sometimes. I’ve probably seen that somewhere, but never with a light, always with stop signs. What streets are these; I want to see them! Well, I was near downtown L.A., where there are a fair number of one-way streets. I imagine it must happen all the time in NYC, where there are gads of one-ways. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-q-left-on-a-red-light/347016/8 "2006-03-04T08:11:01Z")
> [@TJdude825](#): > > This is one of those really crazy exceptions that I always figured would just never happen. Like the one where four people get to a stop sign at the same time. The one coming from the north (or something) should go first technically, UNLESS all four are turning right. I remember reading that and thinking “Right, like that will EVER happen.” But apparently this one-way to one-way thing does happen sometimes. I’ve probably seen that somewhere, but never with a light, always with stop signs. What streets are these; I want to see them! Come to downtown Sacramento. I do the left on red every day at many intersections. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-q-left-on-a-red-light/347016/9 "2006-03-04T13:05:36Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > I imagine it must happen all the time in NYC, where there are gads of one-ways. Nope. Never happens at all. Turning Right on Red is Illegal in NYC, so I don’t see any reason to believe that Turning Left on Red would be different. Right on Red is generally legal in the rest of the state, just not in the city. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2006, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-q-left-on-a-red-light/347016/10 "2006-03-04T15:19:18Z")
It is (as far as I know, and have done it many times - Calgary’s downtown is almost all one-ways) perfectly legal in Alberta. Now, turning left on red from the second-to-left lane is illegal, but done as a matter of course here in Calgary. Come to think of it, the traffic lights are really more suggestions than anything else here. The traffic _rules_ are more suggestions than anything. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-q-left-on-a-red-light/347016/11 "2006-03-05T00:04:33Z")
There used to be a fun intersection in Denver, Where Lincoln hit 20th. Both streets were one way and 4 lanes(and the left turn was forced) and it was fun to watch people to see who would turn in which situation. Some people were afraid to even turn in the inside lane, and others made the turn from the 4th over lane. I never really knew what the law was, but a couple years ago they put up up a sign and just made the whole thing no left turn on red :(. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-q-left-on-a-red-light/347016/12 "2006-03-05T00:11:38Z")
> [@Bearflag70](#): > > Come to downtown Sacramento. I do the left on red every day at many intersections. Hey, what do you know! So do I! ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-q-left-on-a-red-light/347016/13 "2006-03-05T00:16:54Z")
This is also legal here in Washington State, and I perform the maneuver with some regularity. It always feels just a tiny bit odd, though. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-q-left-on-a-red-light/347016/14 "2006-03-05T00:22:19Z")
Man, I want to drive in America! How civilised it is to turn right on red. Here in Australia, it has always been that when there is a red light, You. Don’t. Go. Anywhere. Left, right, straight ahead, you just gotta stop and wait. Then about fifteen years ago, signs started appearing on some intersections: “Left turn on red permitted after stopping” (bearing in mind we drive on the weird side of the road). Still, these signs are only on maybe ten or twenty percent of signal-controlled intersections. No sign, and you don’t turn. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-q-left-on-a-red-light/347016/15 "2006-03-05T07:48:40Z")
Legal in PA unless prohibited by signage.