When did it become acceptable to run red lights?

[agnes!]

There's an intersection near me that I pass through daily, sometimes multiple times. It AMAZES me the number of people who blow through a red light on the main road when I know that their red light will turn green for them as soon as all traffic on the smaller street is through the intersection...in other words, their red light will turn green almost immediately! And YET they can't be bothered to stop for a couple of seconds to let a few cars on the smaller cross-street through. The drivers who really bother me are the ones who barrel through any intersection seconds after the yellow has clearly turned red...I mean, it's not even close.

I'm glad the OP started this thread though. I'll admit it, sometimes I go through on what turns out to be the tail-end of a yellow, but I'm going to be more careful from now on.

agnes!

 

[HsvTeacher]

I'm all for giving tickets to red light runners! A few years ago, a driver went through a red light and totaled my car. The police officer said I was lucky the driver hadn't killed me.

The car in front of me had time to get through the green light, so the other driver had plenty of time to stop. Unfortunately, she was too busy talking on her cell phone and rushing to the after-Thanksgiving sale to notice that the light had changed. Of course, she had absolutely NO insurance!

I still hesitate before going through a green light.

 

[mickeyfan9194]

Well, at least I know my fellow DIS'ers aren't the ones running the red lights. We're some of the few good drivers. Everyone else needs to get off their phone and pay attention before the end up killing someone!

 

[legalsea]

I guess that the 'right turn on red light' rule we have here in Fort Worth (as well as many other cities) may tend to make people believe that all red lights are 'optional'.

The rule: stop for red light. If you are turning right, and there is no traffic coming your way, you may proceed.

Of course, as I am approching an intersection in which I have the green light, and I see a person pulling up to a red light in their right-turn lane, chances are said driver will turn right on red, right in front of me. If they fully stop before pulling out in front of me I will marvel at their respect of the rule of law; usually they barely slow down.

 

[Planogirl]

We have the cameras and I think that the red light runners have decreased lately. DH got a ticket mailed to him because he ran a red light so I know that they are in use!

 

[clarabelle]

It seems to me the worst offenders are the "left turners"
I get people running red lights to make a left turn all the time

 

[mickeyfan9194]

It seems to me the worst offenders are the "left turners"
I get people running red lights to make a left turn all the time

Yep, that's what all of the ones I saw were doing.

 

[KimR]

It seems to me the worst offenders are the "left turners"
I get people running red lights to make a left turn all the time

I admit I'm guilty of this but around here you have to; otherwise you'd never be able to make the turn.

 

[clarabelle]

I'm not talking about that instant right before the other guys light is green
I am talking several cars after my light has been green for a few seconds

 

[DebbieB]

The only ticket I've ever received - red light. About 15 years ago. I was in a hurry to get home and went through a light that just turned red at a small intersection. I'm still careful with it.

On my way to work, I almost always have to stop at a light at the end of a tunnel. The road is a one way. Almost everytime when the light for the tunnel turns green there are still people coming the other way.

 

[BunsenH]

we have the cameras installed here but they use them for selt belt checks. Seems to be a waste of money. I've only heard of one person getting pulled over for not wearing the seat belt---it was in front of a PO and not at the light.

I wait a few seconds after the light changes but have now started tooting my horn at them. I think if it calls attention, possibly they might feel guilty or it might get them off their phone to pay attention to traffic.

I also give them a nice loud honk. If you are going to (willfully, I believe) break the law, let's let everyone know!

 

[stego]

is very much alive and well. They have 1 camera intersection in the North Austin area. I'd say it's been in place for well over a year. There is a sign visibly displayed and very prominent in each direction...I've looked.

I use this intersection Mon-Fri and I've got a good idea how the lights are timed and about the length it will take to get through. Odds are great I'll hit the yellow just coming up. That's just the way it is.

And so I get a bird's eye view of how many drivers are just blantanty running the red light just on my 1 exchange.

I don't think the problem is the fact that there is a red light camera. Heck, they could even post law enforcement at each corner.

I sincerely believe the problem is the general fact that our society is rapidly detiorating into the self-entitlement mentality and it is just going to get worse. Even the visible threat of law enforcement doesn't phase people...it just justifies their behavior even more. The internet has exposed the world instantly to tirades, outbursts etc. Shock value of such behavior is at an all-time low.

The whole premise is if they believe it...it must be so. This environment is self-perpetuating and will continue. There is no barometer.

 

[Inigo]

I'll admit it, sometimes I go through on what turns out to be the tail-end of a yellow, but I'm going to be more careful from now on.

agnes!

You aren't supposed to enter a yellow light. The yellow light is a warning to get out of the intersection, not a warning to hurry up into and through the intersection.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I can tell you why I want to run a red light.

I drive the same way to work every day, on side streets.

The timing of the lights are SO wrong, if you miss this ONE light, it will make you arrive 15 minutes later to your destination. Considering it should take me 20 minutes to drive to work and I allow for 30 to be safe, this extra 15 minutes can make me 5 minutes late to work.

I wish I had the guts to go through a red light but I don't.

(The reason I know this is that before we carpooled, my husband and I drove the same way to work. He made a light and I waited, stopping behind him at the yellow. He got to my turn 15 minutes before I did.)

If cities could just time their lights better, we'd have less people running lights.

 

[zachnsamsmommy]

I can tell you why I want to run a red light.

I drive the same way to work every day, on side streets.

The timing of the lights are SO wrong, if you miss this ONE light, it will make you arrive 15 minutes later to your destination. Considering it should take me 20 minutes to drive to work and I allow for 30 to be safe, this extra 15 minutes can make me 5 minutes late to work.

I wish I had the guts to go through a red light but I don't.

(The reason I know this is that before we carpooled, my husband and I drove the same way to work. He made a light and I waited, stopping behind him at the yellow. He got to my turn 15 minutes before I did.)

If cities could just time their lights better, we'd have less people running lights.

Ohh...I SO can relate...

My husband is a transportation engineer, and he works with counties to time up their lights to keep traffic flowing. We both agree there is nothing worse than hitting red light after red light on a stretch of road. Unfortunately, small towns/cities either can't afford the signal timing or don't want to spend the money. When the lights are correctly timed, not only do people get to their destinations faster, but there are far fewer wrecks from red light runners. I think many red light wrecks/runners are situations with multiple signals.

Oh, and we have lots of red light cameras here as well. Even with signs about them, people run them all the time.

 

[Arielle22]

I can tell you why I want to run a red light.

I drive the same way to work every day, on side streets.

The timing of the lights are SO wrong, if you miss this ONE light, it will make you arrive 15 minutes later to your destination. Considering it should take me 20 minutes to drive to work and I allow for 30 to be safe, this extra 15 minutes can make me 5 minutes late to work.

I wish I had the guts to go through a red light but I don't.

(The reason I know this is that before we carpooled, my husband and I drove the same way to work. He made a light and I waited, stopping behind him at the yellow. He got to my turn 15 minutes before I did.)

If cities could just time their lights better, we'd have less people running lights.

This may not be poor timing. In seaside towns around mine, the light cycles near the beaches are timed to require stops at every light which every 2 blocks. The purpose is to slow traffic down.

 

[bitohoney]

You must be in Massachusetts or the people who ran the lights are.

 

[Art 1]

That's normal for around these parts.

 

[agnes!]

...I'm glad the OP started this thread though. I'll admit it, sometimes I go through on what turns out to be the tail-end of a yellow, but I'm going to be more careful from now on.

agnes!

You aren't supposed to enter a yellow light. The yellow light is a warning to get out of the intersection, not a warning to hurry up into and through the intersection.

If I cannot safely stop because another car is following too closely behind me, then yes, I will proceed through the intersection. If I stopped every time a yellow or amber traffic-light is lit as I approach? Well, around here my car would probably be rear-ended daily. There are also some lights around here with dangerously short-timed yellows.

I wanted to see what my state's traffic laws are, so looked it up. Looks like we're both right .

Steady amber indicates that a change is about to be made in the direction of the moving of traffic. When the amber signal is shown, traffic which has not already entered the intersection, including the crosswalks, shall stop if it is not reasonably safe to continue, but traffic which has already entered the intersection shall continue to move until the intersection has been cleared. The amber signal is a warning that the steady red signal is imminent.

Again, my thanks to the OP for starting this thread. I think all of us can get into bad habits and a little bit of thought can go a long way toward making everyone a little safer on the highways.

agnes!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Gee, you must live in GA. It happens all the time here.

Red light cameras have been added to intersections to supposedly help cut down on the accidents caused by people running red lights. Now those people just avoid those roads and run the red lights in other areas.