FEAR OF THE LEFT TURN ON RED!
I don’t know when my life turned into me driving around all the time.
But here I am and here it is. My life. Driving around all the time.
When you’re driving around all the time, you notice things. Like how many people are terrified of making a left turn on red—usually, people right in front of me.
Here’s what happens. It is rush hour. The person in front of me stops for the red light behind the white line painted in the road—right where you are supposed to stop for a red light.
The red light turns green. An endless line of oncoming cars approaches and passes to our left (preventing a left turn as long as the light is green). The person in front of me hangs back at the white line. The light turns red. The person in front of me hangs back at the white line. The light turns green. The endless line parades pass to our left. The person in front of me hangs back at the white line. The light turns red. The person in front of me hangs back at the white line.
Etc.
And there we sit, cycling back and forth between Scenario A to Scenario B, theoretically forever. (See graphics below [I am in the poor benighted green car].)
SCENARIO A
Hanging Back on Green
SCENARIO B
Hanging Back on Red
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!
What is supposed to happen goes like this.
The red light turns green. An endless line of oncoming cars approaches and passes to our left (preventing a left turn as long as the light is green). The person in front of me pulls out into the middle of the intersection. The light turns red. As soon as the oncoming traffic stops for the red light, the person in front of me turns left. On red. Before the cross traffic to our left and right starts to move. See Scenarios C and D below:
SCENARIO C
Middle of the Intersection on Green
SCENARIO D
Left Turn on Red
I know why people are afraid of left turn on red. Because left turn on red depends on getting out into the middle of the intersection. And sitting all exposed like that out there in the middle of the intersection, the cross traffic to the left and right might run into you. They have the green light after all.
I understand this fear. Driving is dangerous. You never know when somebody’s going to run into you. Caution at all times is the call and watchword.
If only people could rationally weigh the relative dangers of a left turn on red, however, I think maybe we could expedite some traffic flow and ease some fears at the same time:
A. When you are sitting out in the middle of the intersection while you have the green light, the stopped cars to your left and right can see you right in front of them. It is highly unlikely that any of them are going to just stomp on the gas pedal and ram right into you, sitting right there plain as day directly in front of them, just because they have the green light.
B. Worst case scenario: even if they did take it into their heads to do something so insane as to stomp on the gas pedal and run right into you sitting right there plain as day right in front of them just because they have the green light—you are only 10 feet away. If they make it to 10 miles an hour before they hit you, they are driving a dragster. 10 miles an hour is barely fender-bender speed. This scenario is of course not likely to happen at all. But even if it did, the damage—and the danger—would be minimal.
C. You are much much more likely to be hit head-on by somebody swerving out of the oncoming lane, than you are being hit by sudden ramming from a halted vehicle you are sitting right in front of. And yet we all drive down the street day after day without the slightest thought about the danger of oncoming traffic. (I hope that, in making this point, I haven’t increased the very driving paranoia I am trying to tamp down. On second thought, forget I ever said it. Stick with A. and B. Especially A.)
I understand that some think what I am describing is illegal.
All I can say is, I’ve done it all my life, and never been cited for it.
Worst case scenario, better a scofflaw than sitting there behind the white line, like some Twilight Zone Nether-World Car-Zombie, waiting forever for the eternally oncoming traffic to let up.
Ted Silar 