# Where can you not turn red on a red traffic light? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 1, 2000, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476 "2000-12-01T00:34:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wooba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@wooba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wooba)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/1 "2000-12-01T00:34:27Z")
Just curious what places you can’t turn right (or left in places that drive on the left) after coming to a stop at a red traffic light? Here in Ontario you can, but Quebec does not allow this. I believe most Provinces/States will let you turn, but I really don’t know for sure… Thanks… ---
**Author:** ![Nanook\_of\_the\_North\_Shore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Nanook\_of\_the\_North\_Shore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanook_of_the_North_Shore)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/2 "2000-12-01T00:36:22Z")
New York City doesn’t allow it in any of the five boroughs unless otherwise posted. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/3 "2000-12-01T00:37:53Z")
If you happen to be African American and are driving in New Jersey, it’s probable cause for a stop and frisk. ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/4 "2000-12-01T00:46:30Z")
To paraphrase Woody Allen, in talking about Los Angeles: “Just because you can make a right-on-red doesn’t make it a place worth living in.” (Of course, the IMDB doesn’t have this quote on its page for the movie. Grr.) ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/5 "2000-12-01T01:05:09Z")
You can’t turn right on a red light ANYWHERE if it’s prohibited by a posted sign. In L.A., there are several intersections where right turns on red aren’t allowed, but nobody ever seems to pay heed to those signs until they get a ticket. ---
**Author:** ![kinoons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kinoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kinoons)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/6 "2000-12-01T01:10:12Z")
There is one or two intersections in NM that not only can you not turn right on red, YOU MUST HAVE A GREEN ARROW TO TURN RIGHT. This has to be the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard of! Whats the big idea? ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/7 "2000-12-01T01:13:37Z")
Most intersections where right-on-red is prohibited that I’ve seen usually either a high pedestrian traffic area or an intersection where visibility for oncoming traffic is limited to a degree. There’s an intersection of the latter type that I travel through frequently that I **hate** , because whenever I need to turn right there I always seem to get to the intersection just after the light turns red. The visibility at this intersection is hampered because traffic on the busy and speedy (40mph speed limit) cross street is coming out of a sweeping left-hand curve just before they enter the intersection. Cars appear around the curve very suddenly. The no turn on red sign is there for a good reason, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it! ---
**Author:** ![IBBen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85f322/32.png) [@IBBen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IBBen)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/8 "2000-12-01T01:19:05Z")
In Washington State you can turn left from a two-way onto a one-way street after stopping at the red light. I love this law! How many hours of your life have you sat and waited at a red light with absolutely no traffic on the one-way street? ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/9 "2000-12-01T01:35:21Z")
::chuckles at subject line:: I have nothing to add, just wanted to point that out. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/10 "2000-12-01T02:00:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by IBBen \* > \*\*In Washington State you can turn left from a two-way onto a one-way street after stopping at the red light. I love this law! How many hours of your life have you sat and waited at a red light with absolutely no traffic on the one-way street? \*\* Its always fun to do that with a New Yorker in the car… ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/11 "2000-12-01T02:48:09Z")
I don’t know about Canada, but for 20 years (01-Jan-81) there is a right-turn-on-red throughout the USA. Congress’ theory was to make traffic laws uniform throught the USA. For some reason, New York City was exempt of this law because of the prohibitive expense of putting up no-turn-on-red signs. I believe NYC is the only place. Here in Massachusetts, they went one better. In a thumb-your-nose-at-the-law gesture, Massachusetts put up a no-turn-on-red sign at every intersection, probably at federal expense. Incidentally, the right-turn law allows a left turn on a red signal if (and only if) both streets are one way and the driver will not pass across any traffic. ---
**Author:** ![IBBen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/85f322/32.png) [@IBBen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IBBen)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/12 "2000-12-01T02:52:49Z")
If you are turning left onto a one-way, there will be no oncoming traffic. The oncoming traffic would either yield and turn right or wait for a green light and go straight through the intersection. ---
**Author:** ![Gregor\_Samsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@Gregor\_Samsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gregor_Samsa)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/13 "2000-12-01T03:11:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by wooba \* > \*\*…Here in Ontario you can, but Quebec does not allow this… > > \*\* I’m pretty sure Quebec just changed this law (i.e. within the last week or two.) ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/14 "2000-12-01T03:11:27Z")
Since this hasn’t been restricted to just the US, I’ll add my own data point. Turning any direction on red in Japan is illegal. All the foreigners I’ve talked with who’ve gotten Japanese licenses said that they were asked this question by the examiner. Probably because it’s legal in so many other places. –sublight. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/15 "2000-12-01T03:24:42Z")
Quote: Here in Massachusetts, they went one better. In a thumb-your-nose-at-the-law gesture, Massachusetts put up a no-turn-on-red sign at every intersection. Well, I live in Massachusetts, and there are hardly any of these signs; turning right on red is OK just about anywhere. My friends from Germany always found it odd that we could go right through a red light (after stopping, of course). They thought it went against what a red light stood for: stopping. ---
**Author:** ![Renton\_lvr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7feea3/32.png) [@Renton\_lvr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renton_lvr)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/16 "2000-12-01T03:25:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pipeliner \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by wooba \* > > \*\*…Here in Ontario you can, but Quebec does not allow this… > > > > \*\* > > I’m pretty sure Quebec just changed this law (i.e. within the last week or two.) \*\* No they haven’t…and it would be pure stupidity if they did with the way people drive here. At busy intersections we usually get a straight green arrow at first to allow the pedestrians to scramble out of the way before all those cars turning right mow them down…after about 45 seconds THEN you get the solid green which you can (obviously) turn on. If they are that careful with the green light I’m sure they will never allow the right turn on red…at least not in Montréal. ---
**Author:** ![Renton\_lvr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7feea3/32.png) [@Renton\_lvr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renton_lvr)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/17 "2000-12-01T03:40:15Z")
Oops…I should have checked up on this first. Apparently starting Jan. 15th certain municipalities in Quebec will allow right turns on red. [http://www.canada.com/cgi-bin/cp.asp?f=/news/nationalpost/stories/20001122/378858.html](http://www.canada.com/cgi-bin/cp.asp?f=/news/nationalpost/stories/20001122/378858.html) But not in Montreal. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/18 "2000-12-01T07:05:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bizerta \* > … for 20 years (01-Jan-81) there is a right-turn-on-red throughout the USA. Congress’ theory was to make traffic laws uniform throught the USA. My recollection was that the primary rationale for the federal law was that it would save gas. > [@](#): > > For some reason, New York City was exempt of this law because of the prohibitive expense of putting up no-turn-on-red signs. I believe NYC is the only place. Here in Massachusetts, they went one better. In a thumb-your-nose-at-the-law gesture, Massachusetts put up a no-turn-on-red sign at every intersection, probably at federal expense. I’ve never been to Massachusetts, but I understand this was only in Boston. New York’s reason for getting the exemption was that they have lots of pedestrian traffic and right turn on red would cause too many accidents. I believe Boston wanted an exemption too, but couldn’t persuade the powers-that-be to give them one. > [@](#): > > Incidentally, the right-turn law allows a left turn on a red signal if (and only if) both streets are one way and the driver will not pass across any traffic. As IBBen pointed out, in Washington state you can do it from a two way road. That’s also true here in Oregon. But I think you can only do it if there’s no left turn signal. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/19 "2000-12-01T08:04:38Z")
North Tonawanda, New York is another city that doesn’t allow right turns at red lights. There’s a “NO TURN ON RED” sign at every signal in the city. ---
**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:** [December 1, 2000, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476/20 "2000-12-01T13:20:20Z")
> [@](#): > > “Just because you can make a right-on-red doesn’t make it a place worth living in.” > > (Of course, the IMDB doesn’t have this quote on its page for the movie. Grr.) So add it. The IMDB quotes are all added by its users. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-you-not-turn-red-on-a-red-traffic-light/43476.md?page=2)