[TheGrandK-Man]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Are you saying the yellow time at signals here is different than other places? The length of the yellow time provided at a signal is based on national studies and methodology. I am not aware that they are longer anywhere else in the country particularly New York and New Jersey. Jay

If you do a little searching, you will find that there was a controversy several years ago that yellow light times were proven to be shortened at traffic intersections with red-light runner cameras installed. Shorter yellow cycles lead to more drivers being caught in the intersection as the light changes from Y to R. *click* Smile! You're on Red Light Camera!

[Henry10]

Originally Posted by TheGrandK-Man

I do NOT agree with your second paragraph under any circumstance. That is a spark to a powder keg if ever I saw one.

I meant to say -- put in reverse and smash their front end. CT is no powder keg. You can't carry guns here like you do down south. So have at it.

Originally Posted by TheGrandK-Man

Same as if I'm on the highway, in the right or center lane, doing my typical 5mph above posted speed limit, and someone is flashing or horning me to go faster or get out of their way, I exact the ultimate revenge......



I

IGNORE

them.

Center or right lane are for passing. God knows you can't pass on the left lane anymore. Too many cows in that pasture.

[just_because]

Right turn on red is a nightmare for pedestrians and should be abolished. It's clear that the attitudes that many people have is that they are entitled to go through the red light whether there is a 'No Turn on Red' sign or not or whether there are pedestrians who need to cross or whatever. It's also clear that many people don't even bother to stop before they turn on red (and if they do, they will hear the wrath from cars behind them, just as they do if they heed the 'No turn on Red' sign or if they are stopping for crossing pedestrians).

Get rid of this law to make it safer and more comfortable for pedestrians to share the streets with drivers.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by just_because

Right turn on red is a nightmare for pedestrians and should be abolished. It's clear that the attitudes that many people have is that they are entitled to go through the red light whether there is a 'No Turn on Red' sign or not or whether there are pedestrians who need to cross or whatever. It's also clear that many people don't even bother to stop before they turn on red (and if they do, they will hear the wrath from cars behind them, just as they do if they heed the 'No turn on Red' sign or if they are stopping for crossing pedestrians).

Get rid of this law to make it safer and more comfortable for pedestrians to share the streets with drivers.

So because a few people break the law, all drivers should be punished??? If this was a serious problem (and it is not), the law would have been changed. Right now each intersection is reviewed to determine if NTOR is reasonable or not. In urban areas where there are a lot of pedestrians, NTOR is established. There is no reason that it should be established in more suburban and rural locations. Why should vehicles have to sit idling waiting for a light for no good reason? Lets be reasonable here. Jay

[just_because]

Originally Posted by JayCT

So because a few people break the law, all drivers should be punished??? If this was a serious problem (and it is not), the law would have been changed. Right now each intersection is reviewed to determine if NTOR is reasonable or not. In urban areas where there are a lot of pedestrians, NTOR is established. There is no reason that it should be established in more suburban and rural locations. Why should vehicles have to sit idling waiting for a light for no good reason? Lets be reasonable here. Jay

Nobody is being 'punished' by what I propose and it's strange to see it that way. Waiting your turn in a clear and unambiguous system is not punishment. If you go straight you have to wait even if nobody is coming. If you are taking a left, you have to wait even if nobody is coming. Why is it a god given right to be able to go through a red light just because you are taking a right?

Frankly the skill of drivers across the country is very poor. This problem is compounded by the fact that a lot of road markings and rules are too ambiguous and very poorly understood by drivers. Let's keep it simple - red should mean 'stop'. Not stop, then check to see if there is a NTOR sign flapping in the wind far above you, then check for pedestrians (do they have to be IN the crossing or look like they want to cross? how fast are they approaching the crossing...maybe I can beat them?), oh and what's that one way street rule? then check if cars are coming, then go. It's also not well understood where you stop before you go (where you stop is important to pedestrian safety) so many just proceed to the edge of the crossing road out of habit or because the line is so worn it can't be seen. Somehow all of that detail gets lost and people just go, ignoring what they are supposed to do. I think you are being far too generous with your assumption that it's only a few who break the law around turning on red.

And then you have cities where you can't turn on red unless there is a sign specifically permitting it! How many people from out of the area get that wrong?

Right on red creates a more aggressive environment for pedestrians and makes roads less walkable. For example, it's not uncommon for cars to try to 'beat' pedestrians to the crossing, creating very unpleasant and dangerous environment for everyone. It's hard for pedestrians to assert their right to cross when staring down a huge pickup truck that's playing chicken with their lives.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by just_because

Nobody is being 'punished' by what I propose and it's strange to see it that way. Waiting your turn in a clear and unambiguous system is not punishment. If you go straight you have to wait even if nobody is coming. If you are taking a left, you have to wait even if nobody is coming. Why is it a god given right to be able to go through a red light just because you are taking a right?

Frankly the skill of drivers across the country is very poor. This problem is compounded by the fact that a lot of road markings and rules are too ambiguous and very poorly understood by drivers. Let's keep it simple - red should mean 'stop'. Not stop, then check to see if there is a NTOR sign flapping in the wind far above you, then check for pedestrians (do they have to be IN the crossing or look like they want to cross? how fast are they approaching the crossing...maybe I can beat them?), oh and what's that one way street rule? then check if cars are coming, then go. It's also not well understood where you stop before you go (where you stop is important to pedestrian safety) so many just proceed to the edge of the crossing road out of habit or because the line is so worn it can't be seen. Somehow all of that detail gets lost and people just go, ignoring what they are supposed to do. I think you are being far too generous with your assumption that it's only a few who break the law around turning on red.

And then you have cities where you can't turn on red unless there is a sign specifically permitting it! How many people from out of the area get that wrong?

Right on red creates a more aggressive environment for pedestrians and makes roads less walkable. For example, it's not uncommon for cars to try to 'beat' pedestrians to the crossing, creating very unpleasant and dangerous environment for everyone. It's hard for pedestrians to assert their right to cross when staring down a huge pickup truck that's playing chicken with their lives.

Sorry but you actually are punishing all because of a few. This has to do with conflict points in an intersection and the number of accidents that are attributed to them. Left turns and through movements have the highest degree of conflict and as such the highest number of accidents (and the most serious). Non-conflicting right turns have the lowest amount of conflicts so they have the lowest number of accidents. Believe it or not this has been the result of MANY years of study and debate both on the professional and legal level. It took decades to decide to allow this and it was not done arbitrarily. The data and analysis just do not show a significant enough increase in accidents to warrant such a restriction. Believe me in our litigious society, if it had the laws would be changed.

To carry your logic even further, would you also only require left turns and through movements to be made unopposed? That would mean only one side of a signal would go at a time and all other approaches and movements would have to wait there turn. Accident history shows that this would cut down on a lot more accidents and serious ones at that, than establishing NTOR at all intersections. Of course it would significantly increase congestion at all intersections and result in more pollution and wasted energy but by your logic that should not matter. It is all about safety. Get my point? Jay

[Henry10]

Originally Posted by just_because

Right turn on red is a nightmare for pedestrians and should be abolished.

Throwing away the baby with the bathwater was never a smart move. Vast majority of intersections have this, and function fine. Without it, traffic would be a lot worse.

[AntonioR]

One light that I notice tend to last the least is the red light. When I find myself driving in some parts of the USA and even in a few countries, those red lights last so long I begin to wonder if something is wrong with their traffic lights. I often say to myself 'you aren't in CT buddy.' lol

I've driven in countries where they have a countdown timer next to the traffic lights (I guess the locals used to get desperate at those red lights too, hence they put the timers), and I still find those lights take forever to change. It makes perfect sense why in many countries when drivers see the yellow light, rather than slowing down they speed up in an attempt to not get caught in the red light. lol

[Henry10]

Not many places have smart traffic management systems, which monitor traffic in realtime, and coordinate and time traffic lights accordingly. Sometimes I still see in CT uncoordinated lights. For this reason alone, RTOR are a help.

[Mathguy]

Originally Posted by Mike 75

They're impatient. The signs are valid all day. That said, I've never seen anyone pulled over for a right on red in violation.

I got one in another part of the country as did a friend of mine.

Problem is typically that the road being turned onto is 40mph and you can only see so far....so then someone makes a pokey turn out and someone is really going 55mph and wham.

The few intersections where I live that have them are LITTERED with little pieces of tail lights and other car pieces on a regular basis.

I just ignore anyone that wants me to turn on red. If they're in that big of a hurry they can drive up on the sidewalk or whatever else they need to do to go around me.

I'm not eating another $75 ticket to cater to them.