# Silly Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 2, 2001, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034 "2001-01-02T00:53:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Civil\_Defense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Civil\_Defense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Defense)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2001, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/1 "2001-01-02T00:53:35Z")
Uhm, this may be a bit mundane or silly, but I’ve just started wondering recently (read as: past hour or so)… In England, as well as other foreign countries whose drivers drive on the opposite side of the road, can you make a left on red? ---
**Author:** ![Gaspode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gaspode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaspode)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2001, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/2 "2001-01-02T02:02:08Z")
No such thing as a silly question, only silly questioners. If you mean is it possible to turn left, via a merging lane, on a red light the answer here is possibly yes. Some intersections have left turn only lanes that merge with the cross-street, but these aren’t controlled by the same lights as the through traffic. Usually they aren’t controlled at all and are invariably accompanied by the ‘turn left at any time with care’ sign. Can you turn left at a normal intersection when the light is red, the answer is no. A non-emergency vehicle can’t move through a red light at any time, for any reason, ever. Do you mean that where you are it is legal to drive through a red light provided you’re turning right? Isn’t this even more hazardous than simply driving across the stream of traffic on a red light? ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Defense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Civil\_Defense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Defense)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2001, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/3 "2001-01-02T02:04:28Z")
> [@](#): > > Do you mean that where you are it is legal to drive through a red light provided you’re turning right? Isn’t this even more hazardous than simply driving across the stream of traffic on a red light? Perhaps we’re misunderstanding one another. Here in the great state of Virginia, if you are in a right turning lane with a red light, and there is no oncoming traffic, you can turn right on red provided that there is no “No Right on Red” sign. ---
**Author:** ![Gaspode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gaspode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaspode)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2001, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/4 "2001-01-02T02:14:39Z")
OK, totally different road rules. The question, at least as regards OZ, is moot. There’s no comparison. If a lane is controlled by lights it is never legal to move through the red light. It’s got nothing to do with which side of the road we drive on. There are left turn lanes, but these are constructed so that they are either not controlled by lights at all, or controlled by a separate turn arrow in addition to the main lights if they have special rules. Otherwise you just follow the traffic lights as normal. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2001, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/5 "2001-01-02T04:58:12Z")
As I recall, Britain doesn’t allow left turns on red lights in the same way that most jurisdictions in North America do. (For the record, lest Brits think we’re all dangerous lunatics, where it’s legal, you can treat the red light as a stop sign – i.e. stop, wait for traffic to clear and then proceed.) I suspect the difference between Britain and North America is that on the left side of the ocean, we don’t have the oh-so-elegant traffic circles to keep traffic flowing. In the middle of the night, were you not able to make a right on a red light, you could wait MANY minutes before being able to go on your merry way. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2001, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/6 "2001-01-02T07:48:56Z")
There has been a small amount of debate in public about this, most don’t care that much about it but I dare say our great and good have looked into allowing left turns. The major concern is that in a country unused to this there would be pedestrian casualities. Go to any UK town or city and you see pedestrians making dash across the road when the lights are changing from one to another and traffic is standing still during the amber transition. You would be looking backwards over your right shoulder as well as everywhere else whilst trying to cross and this is not seen as a good thing, especially if a vehicle comes around the corner at any sort of speed. Another thing recently thrown out as an idea is lane undertaking. You can only pass another freely moving vehicle on the outside, I believe that some places allow undertaking. You can pass another vehicle in your outside if traffic is moving in slow lanes where everything is clogged up. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2001, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/7 "2001-01-02T07:53:21Z")
In Japan, where we drive on the left side of the road, left turns on red are not allowed. We don’t have roundabouts either. I’m not sure why - maybe it’s the narrow roads and the high density of cars, and maybe it’s the visibility which is typically much poorer than in the US. Of course, there are specific cases where left turns are allowed when straight traffic is not. In addition to green, yellow and red lights, there are often green arrows that override the red light and indicates that you have the right of way. It’s really confusing when you have a red light with straight, right and left green arrows. (It means you have right of way for all directions, as opposed to a plain green light where oncoming traffic has right of way over right turns.) ---
**Author:** ![Adolph\_Peewee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Adolph\_Peewee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Adolph_Peewee)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2001, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/8 "2001-01-02T12:48:52Z")
I don’t know about the rest of the nation, but here in South Oz, there has recently been legislation introduced which allows Left Turns on Red Signals **IF SIGNPOSTED** interesting thing is…I still haven’t seen any of these signs yet! :wally ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2001, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/9 "2001-01-02T13:13:11Z")
As **casdave** and **Cerowyn** have said, you can’t turn on red lights in Britain at all, even when there’s no traffic or pedestrians around. **Adolph Peewee** - I’m 99.9% sure that you can turn on a red light anywhere in Australia. It certainly took me a long time to get the hang of it in New South Wales. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2001, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/10 "2001-01-02T13:42:15Z")
In New York (outside NYC) left turns are red lights are legal, but only if you’re turning from one one-way street to another. The whole argument for right turn on red was that it saves gas. Maybe, but I think it was just because people are in a hurry. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2001, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/11 "2001-01-02T13:57:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Civil Defense \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > Do you mean that where you are it is legal to drive through a red light provided you’re turning right? Isn’t this even more hazardous than simply driving across the stream of traffic on a red light? > > Perhaps we’re misunderstanding one another. Here in the great state of Virginia, if you are in a right turning lane with a red light, and there is no oncoming traffic, you can turn right on red provided that there is no “No Right on Red” sign. \*\* I thought Virginia was a commonwealth. Anyway, that’s the way it is in Ontario, too. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2001, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/12 "2001-01-02T14:54:15Z")
[hijack] Just wanted to point out: hey, **Civil,** if you give your questions more specific thread titles, such as “Can you turn left on a red light in the UK?” you’ll get more responses, and probably better ones, too. You’ll attract the folks who may really know something about it, as opposed to the flotsam and jetsam (ahem 😃 ) who have washed up in THIS thread. (hi, Casdave! 😃 ) File for future reference. 😉 [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Gaspode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gaspode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaspode)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2001, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/13 "2001-01-02T14:55:43Z")
Just a side note, but I find this hilarious: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Adolph Peewee \* > **I don’t know about the rest of the nation, but here in South Oz, there has recently been legislation introduced which allows Left Turns on Red Signals IF SIGNPOSTED** The reason being that we’ve just spent millions of dollars and many years introducing uniform national road rules which came into effect last year. And now this. Oh well back to the drawing board. Nice to see you again to **Duck**. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2001, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/14 "2001-01-02T15:05:48Z")
[struggling out from under heaps of storm wrack, while gulls wheel and scream overhead] Same to ya! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Adolph\_Peewee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Adolph\_Peewee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Adolph_Peewee)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2001, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/15 "2001-01-03T13:43:10Z")
\*\*MattK \*\* I’m not sure on that one! I’ve got a mate who’s a police officer in the town I go to uni, and he’s pinged a few people for turning on a red. There was an article in the local rag up there a few months back, and the public was duly informed by the local Chief Inspector that turning on a red light only when it was safe to do so and when it was appropriately signposted. Might have to go for a bit of a treasure hunt and see what we can dig up. I’m thinking that you’re probably right…and that SA, as per the norm, is simply behind the times again!! ---
**Author:** ![Adolph\_Peewee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Adolph\_Peewee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Adolph_Peewee)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2001, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/16 "2001-01-03T13:47:13Z")
and to clarify it again for you Gaspode… BTW…not SA born…just to set the record straight! only lived here for the past 16 years! > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Adolph Peewee \* > \*\* I’m thinking that you’re probably right…and that SA, as per the norm, is simply behind the times again!! \*\* ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2001, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/17 "2001-01-03T20:25:42Z")
MattK is correct about the situation here in the UK. No turns on red, even if it is stark staringly obvious that this would be perfectly safe. Every UK driver has had the experience of trying to get somewhere fast but repeatedly sitting staring at a badly-calibrated red light, waiting for absolutely no reason whatsoever. I much prefer the rule pertaining to most N. American states which allow you to turn on red under specified circumstances. The good news is that the government have briefly mentioned they might look into changing this rule (MattK - I seem to remember Jack Straw wittering on about it at some point). The bad news is that that’s all they did - mention it. I doubt any legislation will actually emerge. That would be far too progressive and might actually _help_ people get around the country, which is apparently against government policy. ---
**Author:** ![Pjen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2001, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-question/48034/18 "2001-01-03T22:52:22Z")
USA- large country, much space, large streets, straight streets, good sight lines. UK- small country, little space, small streets, twisty streets, poor sight lines. Stands to reason- no turn on red if it would cause accidents. However, I still find it frustrating after living back here for thirty years that you can only overtake on the right on freeways- trying to do so on the left will result in the other driver making rude signs (two fingers rather than one) and possibly trying to drive you off the road. It’s seen as close to murder or child abuse to overtake on the wrong side!