# Why do People turn LEFT on Red lights?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-turn-left-on-red-lights/502024>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 5, 2009, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-turn-left-on-red-lights/502024 "2009-07-05T23:46:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-turn-left-on-red-lights/502024/21 "2009-07-06T05:25:54Z")

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> [@DSYoungEsq](#):
>
> Except that that cited article doesn’t support the notion that you can turn left when the light is red. Rather, it appears that you are allowed to turn left into any lane of traffic, rather than into the leftmost lane of traffic.

Ok, I never actually looked at the law, or the opinion. I just took the interpretation I heard from my friend as the truth. I just looked up the actual law (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-120(a)(2)) and read the Georgia Supreme court [opinion](http://www.gasupreme.us/sc-op/pdf/s09a0487.pdf) **(PDF)**. It looks like you are right and it just made the law about the lane to turn into unconstitutional.

Now, IANAL, so don’t take any of what I say about laws as the truth or not.

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**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-turn-left-on-red-lights/502024/22 "2009-07-06T06:20:52Z")

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Maybe they’re from places where it’s directly I-llegal to go anywhere with a red light and have been told its legal to turn right on reds but didn’t understand it correctly.

Maybe they’re from places where red lights are treated like stop signs.

Maybe they’ve had a brainfart.

Maybe they’re morons.

Take your pick…

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**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-turn-left-on-red-lights/502024/23 "2009-07-06T11:41:34Z")

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Twenty quatloos on the “moron”! 😃

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**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-turn-left-on-red-lights/502024/24 "2009-07-06T13:20:17Z")

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Same reason they run red lights in any direction. Even right on red is only legal when it is clear to do so even though some states do not even require you to stop at them.

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**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-turn-left-on-red-lights/502024/25 "2009-07-06T13:28:59Z")

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**Meeko** : You should come over here. South Korea has a “right on red” provision in the Road Traffic Law; however, almost nobody actually stops–or even slows down–prior to the right turn.

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