Neither of those assumptions are true, unfortunately. Most drivers define “complete stop” as “I am slowing under 15mph and not currently pressing the accelerator”, and especially in the right turn on red scenario most of them are only looking for high-speed traffic from the left. I see this frequently in front of the local school where people make the right at 10-15mph and then get annoyed that they’re expected not to kill students in the crosswalk. No, not every driver does it but if you actually come to a complete stop for a stop sign or right-turn-on-red you’ll get angry honking.
We have stop sign cameras here and a bunch of old people got annoyed enough about tickets to get a local news cycle claiming the cameras were unfair. Literally every single video they produced as evidence showed them rolling through without ever stopping, and what they were claiming was the their brake lights being visible meant they’d stopped. I don’t think any of them had paused to consider whether their subjective impression while driving actually matched the motion of their vehicles.
Depends on the state. In my state, people seem to be very careful drivers, and drivers seem attentive enough to react to unexpected events.
Meanwhile it seems like drivers in California don't even know what a stop sign is.
We have right turn on red here, and if you were to run someone over while doing that, you'd not have many friends left for being such an asshole.
I disagree entirely with the article. Rule number one of driving is "watch where you are going and don't run into anything", which the driver in this case clearly failed to do. The two lanes turning right means that your view of the crosswalk could be obscured, but in that case, it is your responsibility as a driver to only continue moving if you are sure it is safe. I do not give a crap how supposedly "unsafe" the intersection was designed, it is your responsibility as a driver to not drive into people.
But when people are turning right on red, they tend to only look to the left to see if there are any oncoming cars, and not see pedestrians crossing in front of them coming from the right.
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Strangely, I think right on red might even be safer, as:
- you must come to a complete stop before making the turn, and
- as your light is red, you know to look out for pedestrians or vehicles that have right of way
Neither of those assumptions are true, unfortunately. Most drivers define “complete stop” as “I am slowing under 15mph and not currently pressing the accelerator”, and especially in the right turn on red scenario most of them are only looking for high-speed traffic from the left. I see this frequently in front of the local school where people make the right at 10-15mph and then get annoyed that they’re expected not to kill students in the crosswalk. No, not every driver does it but if you actually come to a complete stop for a stop sign or right-turn-on-red you’ll get angry honking.
We have stop sign cameras here and a bunch of old people got annoyed enough about tickets to get a local news cycle claiming the cameras were unfair. Literally every single video they produced as evidence showed them rolling through without ever stopping, and what they were claiming was the their brake lights being visible meant they’d stopped. I don’t think any of them had paused to consider whether their subjective impression while driving actually matched the motion of their vehicles.
I believe there is some … difference … between theory and practice, however!
At least in my experience over the last couple of decades in the US.
Depends on the state. In my state, people seem to be very careful drivers, and drivers seem attentive enough to react to unexpected events.
Meanwhile it seems like drivers in California don't even know what a stop sign is.
We have right turn on red here, and if you were to run someone over while doing that, you'd not have many friends left for being such an asshole.
I disagree entirely with the article. Rule number one of driving is "watch where you are going and don't run into anything", which the driver in this case clearly failed to do. The two lanes turning right means that your view of the crosswalk could be obscured, but in that case, it is your responsibility as a driver to only continue moving if you are sure it is safe. I do not give a crap how supposedly "unsafe" the intersection was designed, it is your responsibility as a driver to not drive into people.
Many people don't even slow down that much, just enough so the car won't skid making the turn.
Yep, They barely slow down and definitely don't look.
Or look to their left for automobile traffic crossing with the green.
But when people are turning right on red, they tend to only look to the left to see if there are any oncoming cars, and not see pedestrians crossing in front of them coming from the right.