So that works if you get pulled over? Seriously - show me where traffic code says you should blindly inch into unknown traffic, and I’ll rescind my comment.
So why are you making the assumption he isn’t?
Wow, that’s maybe the worst driving advice I’ve ever seen in my entire life.
[
Standing fast at a red light is the default position. It needs no justification. What you need is a good reason to turn, not a good reason not to turn. If a driver turns right on red and an accident occurs as a result he is at least partially at fault. It really is not your bailiwick to make that judgement for him.
I think that’s a selfish attitude. If you say “I don’t HAVE to turn yet, so I won’t”, even though you could (and I’m not necessarily accusing the OP of this), then you’re being selfish.
That’s not under contention. I’m not required to hold the door for an elderly woman carrying 2 sacks of groceries, but it’s courteous to do so.
Since the OP specifically asked me how I felt about only being held up 10-15 seconds, yes, it appears that the OP at least is making such a decision. You either turn right or you don’t, depending whether it’s safe to do so. Whether you think it’s reasonable to “only” hold someone up 15 seconds is immaterial.
At this point, you have inched forward, you can see that someone is coming and you cannot go, so: are you now blocking the crosswalk preventing pedestrians that you also couldn’t see from getting across the street?
I dunno. Personally, people who say “I’m just gonna sit here like a zombie at this red light 'cuz I don’t HAVE to turn” strike me as assholes.
Blowero, I think that you’re confusing 2 ideas. As a driving instructor, you’re not only teaching the driving laws and regulations. You’re also giving recommendations on how to drive more safely. In the case of a driver wishing to make a right turn on red, it’s certainly beneficial to ease into the turn if a decent view of the road is not available. But no one should be forced to make the turn. I’m pretty sure that a police officer can give a ticket to the person doing the honking who is attempting to force the driver in front to make a turn.
Yes, you might conceivably block the crosswalk, but the pedestrians can figure out how to go around your car. Obviously, though, if you see pedestrians in the crosswalk, you don’t inch out until they are past you. You seem skeptical, but I assure you, from my experience as a driving instructor, that this IS the proper way to make a right turn on a red light.
Stop behind limit line.
Check for pedestrians.
Gently ease out past the limit line if needed to see traffic.
Proceed when safe.
OH FOR PETE’S SAKE, FOLKS! I’ve been very clear about this. I NEVER said you are legally required to turn right on red. Never said it. So please stop saying this. I’m telling you the preferred way that driving educators teach students to do this. And I’m telling you that in my personal opinion, it’s rude to hold up traffic if you don’t NEED to. I’m not saying you’re breaking a law if you do this, I’m just saying that IMO it’s rude.
Do you really think that people who do not turn on red make that decision just to piss you off? Most folks who are out driving have somewhere to go, and it would behoove them to do so efficiently. I seriously doubt whether they would choose not to move just because they can. Has anyone ever said the above (your qoute) to you? I guess it would be an asshole move if their stated purpose was to inconvenience you or the other drivers behind them. How can you possibly know this? You are making an assumption based on very little evidence. Just because you feel that you can execute a maneuver safely does not mean everyone can. If you were behind me honking I suspect we would have a face to face conversation just so that we could clear up any misunderstanding about exactly what the honking was about, because people who think they know better than I do how I should drive my car strike me as assholes.
But you did say that you would honk your horn at the car in front, which is an improper use of your horn and might get you a traffic ticket.
To clarify, I don’t make a habit of sitting at red lights with my right turn signal on and my foot on the brake, with someone else waiting to turn right behind me, muttering “you can afford to wait, it’s only 10-15 seconds.” I usually turn right on red if I can. Almost intersections around here that do not have a No Turn On Red sign provide enough visibility on the left to see whether or not it is safe to turn, and if there is something blocking my vision and I think I have enough room to inch out far enough to see, I do so. Once in a great while, however, I come across an intersection where there is no No Turn On Red sign, AND it does not appear to me that I would have room to inch out far enough to see, without beginning to place the nose of my car in the path of moving traffic. In those rare cases, I tend to wait for the light to turn green, and it is frustrating to be honked at for doing so. Especially when it is very likely that inching forward would merely get me honked at by the cars approaching from the left, whose path I have crept into.
This brings to mind a 4th gripe:
Here’s another one: You’re about to make a turn onto a road and the speed limit is 35 mph. You see a car coming, but it’s far enough that you have plenty of time to make the turn. So you make the turn and notice that the car is now on your tail and the driver is honking the horn belligerently. The guy is probably going 20 mph faster than the speed limit in order to reach you so fast. And yet he has the nerve to get angry at you.
Here in New Jersey, this happens very frequently. A few months ago this happened and I slowed down and motioned to the driver to pull over. He did so. I got out of my car and walked over to him and asked him what the problem was. I’m a very non-confrontational guy, but I must have been having a bad day. Luckily for me he was just some puny high school kid (whose parents probably bought him his Corvette). He rolls down his window and says:
“What the fuck are you doing?”
I said: “How fast were you fucking going?”
Him: “Fuck you asshole. Learn how to drive.”
Me: “Listen bitch, the speed limit is 35.”
Him: “Fuck you.”
As I walked back to my car, he sped off showing me one of his fingers. I just smiled and stuck my tongue out at him.
Now there’s an accident waiting to happen. When it does, I hope he doesn’t kill anyone.
Thank fucking christ we don’t have right (left) on red rules.
I wish I drove where you are. I’ve seen many things to piss me off, but never that. Around here the standard practice is right turn on red after a stop that you need a picosecond clock detector to measure. Near my house there is a road with two left turn lanes into two lanes. In the other direction there is a short merge lane for right turns. The light in this direction is red when the left turn arrows are green. (duh). Every day, every freakin’ day, there is a guy who looks a line of ten cars all turning left, and decides to gun it into the merge lane anyhow. If these people even stop, they look annoyed that the left turners with the right of way occupy his space. :wally
As for entering an intersection on the last second of a yellow light. Yes, it’s legal, but if anyone starting at the green hits you, I have no sympathy. It is so close to running the red as makes no difference, and I despise red light runners.
Aren’t lights timed so that red is shown in all directions for a few seconds?
A corallary to #3: Don’t make a turn on red when someone is waiting on the other side of the intersection to avoid gridlock. I’ve moved into the interesection a few times because those assholes keep squeezing halfway around the corner until traffic moves a bit. After a while I just say ‘fuck it’ and move into the intersection.
Yes, he does.
It’s a shame, blowero, because quite a few of your posts I agree with 100%, but if we ever met in real life I suspect I would not like you. Why? Because in the other quite a few of your posts, you come across as the most self-centered, egotistical, the world revolves around me type of person I can ever imagine. People writing checks at the grocery store when they’re in front of you in line are rude. People waiting when it’s not safe to turn at a red light are rude. If you block the crosswalk, well, pedestrians know how to get around you. It’s all about you. The sole purpose in life of all other people on this planet is to stay the fuck out of blowero’s way. Sorry, I don’t like people with that kind of attitude.
In some places, but not around me. It would probably encourage more red light running.
blowero, I would like to apologize. My preceding post was completely inappropriate and I should not have posted it. Sorry.