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"you get a ticket for being in the intersection with a red light" Exactly what law is this against? You can get a ticket for crossing the stop line and turning against a red light but not if you've already crossed the stop line and entered the junction awaiting a safe gap
The relevant statute (see post #7) leaves enough room for the police to ticket someone who pulls into the intersection without the ability to immediately complete their turn. 99.99% of the time, I think the "no harm, no foul" rule applies - but there's always a small chance there will be cranky cop nearby who hasn't had his donut and is low on his monthly ticket quota ....
With all of the transplants here form different parts of the country, I would imagine they are bringing their driving habits with them.
This^^^^. I remember when I moved to N. Va., the shock of this happening. But it was for good reason. In Va. it seemed to be an unwritten rule that when a light turned red, the next three cars that were already in motion were allowed to run the light. That number could be increased depending on the distance of the oncoming cars from each other. My wife and I dubbed this the "VA Rule". This rule directly opposed waht we called the "NC Rule", which is if at a left turn with a constant stream of oncoming traffic, pull your self into the intersection. If the light turns red while you are in the intersection you can proceed to make your turn, as the oncoming traffic will have stopped at the red light and the side traffic will patiently wait for you to complete your maneuver.
Doing the NC rule in VA or the VA rule in NC is guaranteed accident. Goo thing you don't see the VA rule in NC that much outside of the triangle
Wow, it's never occurred to me NOT to pull out when making the left - in 25 years of driving I've never suffered by doing this! I really can't stand it when I'm behind someone who doesn't do it and I'm stuck there for at least another light cycle. The light is green - it's ok to pull in and do it! In the rare chance an ambulance is coming, get out of the way
It is NOT OK.
You may end up with a yellow light, while opposing traffic still has a green.
The guy ahead may have been caught in a yellow trap earlier, and that's why he doesn't do it.
It doesn't happen at all intersections, which makes the decision harder. It happens at only the intersections with one of these features:
1. A left turn signal faces the opposite direction, and you can turn on the circular green.
2. The intersection can be pre-empted by an emergency vehicle or a railroad for a special cycle.
3. There are 5 or more legs to the intersection.
This can leave you with two undesirable events:
- You turn on yellow, expecting opposing traffic to stop, and they DON'T stop, because they still have a green.
- You wait for a gap in the intersection with a red light, and get a ticket.
Of course many of you don't "see the point" of pulling into the intersection, as it's "all about you"!!...Apparently, this is the same logic that pervades in those who sit in the left lane while driving, and force people to go around them on the right! The word "road hog" was invented for them!..If you are at a wide intersection, where it takes some distance to get to the spot you need to get to to make your turn, your failure to pull up to that halfway point causes you to miss many turning opportunities, and therefore, opportunities for those behind you!...Wonder why you get to sit forever at lights and in traffic when the Triangle has such a comparatively small population?...It's that people CHOOSE to not properly merge on roads, hog the left lane, won't accelerate when making a left turn, don't pull up into intersections, and pull into the right lane when a sign says says "Left lane closed 75 miles ahead"!..And add chatting on the phone, with their passengers and texting to that and that explains much about our traffic issues!!...Simply put, people aren't courteous to those following behind them!..Or, better yet, selfish drivers, who as my dad used to say, are thinking, "I made it, I'm okay,...F- you!!"...Oh, and P.S.... in North Carolina, as in many other states, you get a ticket for being less than halfway thru an intersection, when the light goes red!...Since you are ALREADY halfway thru the intersection, you shouldn't be able to get a ticket!...Of course, you STILL could, just as it is possible to get a ticket for a right turn on red, (which many drivers ALSO don't do, which is legal!), if the officer feels you did it unsafely!!..
Last edited by Courteousdriver; 06-23-2013 at 08:20 AM..
Reason: To add to it!
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