Left Turn as light turns red, illegal? (Arlington: insurance, high school)

[dkf747]

It is not illegal if you were out in the intersection before the yellow. People who claim it is illegal - please provide a cite or stop making up rules.

[VRE332]

Originally Posted by Tideas

wow, this is the first time I heard of cops pulling people over for this. I thought this was legal...well ,at least in Cali. hell, they taught us this in driving school bak in HS

I dont think we're getting the full story here.

[tamitrail]

LIS > Code of Virginia > 46.2-833

"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."

[VRE332]

Originally Posted by tamitrail

LIS > Code of Virginia > 46.2-833

"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."

Yea she was probably behind the white line and decided to go anyways.

[Erma]

If you had done that in Chesapeake, you would have gotten a ticket.

[Dredre]

Strange, I was right behind a police in Maryland who did the EXACT same thing yesterday evening.

[Espressoo]

Originally Posted by Dredre

Strange, I was right behind a police in Maryland who did the EXACT same thing yesterday evening.

Cops aren't always the best drivers or perfect role models. Nor do they always enforce the law when it's being violated right in front of them.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by Espressoo

Cops aren't always the best drivers or perfect role models. Nor do they always enforce the law when it's being violated right in front of them.

That's for d&^$ sure. One thing i will say. Fairfax County has been writing out tickets on Rt. 1 in the Ft. Belvoir area like crazy.

To the OP, if the cop said it was illegal, listen to them. From personal experience those red light tickets are expensive and are worse than some speeding violations as far as points go.

[5stones]

§ 46.2-825. Left turn traffic to yield right-of-way.

The driver of a vehicle, intending to turn left within an intersection or into an alley, private road, or driveway shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction if it is so close as to constitute a hazard. At intersections controlled by traffic lights with separate left-turn signals, any vehicle making a left turn when so indicated by the signal shall have the right-of-way over all other vehicles approaching the intersection.

(Code 1950, § 46-239; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-222; 1974, c. 347; 1989, c. 727.)


46.2-805. Lane direction control signals.

When lane direction control signals are placed over the individual lanes of a highway, vehicular traffic may travel in any lane over which a green signal is shown, but shall not enter or travel in any lane over which a red signal is shown and shall vacate as soon as possible any lane over which an amber signal is shown.

IF you do not have a left turn arrow light...you are YIELDING to on comming traffic. you must wait until traffic is clear, if you can't go you don't. pulling inot the middle of an intersection to waiting until red to go is illegal. If you pull into the insection while green and go on green you are good, if it turns amber you are to vacate the intersection, RED means stop. YOU took a chance and got caught in the middle and went on RED, esentailly running a red light.
NOW... what choice did you have? wait in the middle of the street and impeed traffic? you can get a fine for that as well.

Technically you are to wait BEHIND the white intersection line until your route is clear before heading into the intersection before you proceed. (because you are yeiiding to all oncomming traffic... you aren't guaranteed a left turn)

YOu got a warning, because the officer wanted you to know that you were actually doing an illegal turn. But she was also logical and used common sense that knowing you were in a "catch 22 " situation.

Just because something is common practice, or everyone does it doesn't make it legal.

VA drivers are bad at lights esp. left turn signals...they "piggy back" through the red lights all time, getting at least 5 more cars through. And then causing the road to back-up...everyone is always in such a hurry.

[dkf747]

Originally Posted by 5stones

pulling inot the middle of an intersection to waiting until red to go is illegal. If you pull into the insection while green and go on green you are good, if it turns amber you are to vacate the intersection, RED means stop. YOU took a chance and got caught in the middle and went on RED, esentailly running a red light.
NOW... what choice did you have? wait in the middle of the street and impeed traffic? you can get a fine for that as well.

Technically you are to wait BEHIND the white intersection line until your route is clear before heading into the intersection before you proceed. (because you are yeiiding to all oncomming traffic... you aren't guaranteed a left turn)

YOu got a warning, because the officer wanted you to know that you were actually doing an illegal turn. But she was also logical and used common sense that knowing you were in a "catch 22 " situation.

Just because something is common practice, or everyone does it doesn't make it legal.

VA drivers are bad at lights esp. left turn signals...they "piggy back" through the red lights all time, getting at least 5 more cars through. And then causing the road to back-up...everyone is always in such a hurry.

None of the laws cited so far agree with you. Read them again. Entering the intersection to wait is NOT illegal. People who wait behind the white lines are the ones impeding traffic.