Sophee Langerman was on her way to a bicycle safety rally in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood in June when a car turning right rolled through a red light and slammed into her bike, which she was walking off the curb and into the crosswalk.
The car was moving slowly enough that Langerman escaped serious injury, but the bicycle required extensive repairs. To Langerman, it’s another argument for ending a practice that almost all U.S. cities have embraced for decades: the legal prerogative for a driver to turn right after stopping at a red light.
A dramatic rise in accidents killing or injuring pedestrians and bicyclists has led to a myriad of policy and infrastructure changes, but moves to ban right on red have drawn some of the most intense sentiments on both sides.
Washington, D.C.'s City Council last year approved a right-on-red ban that takes effect in 2025. New Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s transition plan called for “restricting right turns on red,” but his administration hasn’t provided specifics. The college town of Ann Arbor, Michigan, now prohibits right turns at red lights in the downtown area.
I don’t agree with this. It has nothing to do with red lights. Drivers will cut out straight in front of me with green lights as well. The problem is proper infrastructure. Make a city where there are so many cyclists that cars can’t miss them. This is why places like NYC have such low incidents at crosswalks.
Or better yet, give cyclists sperated spaces from cars and trucks to ride. Even if it’s just letting them ride on sidewalks. (Although not applicable in this case)
I always thought pedestrian crossings should be further back from the intersection. With them being a part of the intersection itself you have to deal with traffic and pedestrians changing positions at the same time vs just traffic or just pedestrians crossing the street.
That, and also because NYC has already banned right on red.
Sure, and it has nothing to do with the big ass vehicles being churned out due to loopholes in US law.
https://www.distilled.earth/p/the-loophole-that-made-cars-in-america
My own anecdotal evidence, walking several blocks and crossing a busy intersection everyday.
I take attempts to not get hit by looking at the driver and checking to see if they are paying attention. Often a driver will inch forward until they can time turning between cars coming from the opposite side of the intersection or will turn immediately when the light changes. I often have people who wait, but mostly people will just drive past me while I stand waiting to cross.
Car size doesn’t seem to make any difference in how aware the driver is or if they are following driver safety, at least when I’m attempting to keep myself from being hit.
As someone who went to the US recently and nearly got taken out by a driver rolling right through the crosswalk only looking to her left, get rid of right turn on red. We survive just fine without it (well, it would technically be a left turn here) in Japan.
In the Netherlands it wouldn’t even work as yhere are usually cycle paths or pedestrian crossings that have a green light. Right turns have their own light whenever possible to make sure they are on their own cycle.
I’m totally down for this. Right turn on red is optional, but people behind me seem to think it’s required and lay on their horns if I stop for more than a second. Like come on, I need a moment to make sure someone isn’t trying to cross!
“What’s really behind this movement is part of the agenda to make driving as miserable and as difficult as possible so people don’t drive so much,” Beeber said.
Shit. He figured my plan out.
But seriously people driving less would be a win. Cars are awful.
It’s the size of the cars that’s causing the increase.
Wow, you are totally right.
More than likely this is about revenue.
So … she didn’t look both ways as a walking pedestrian?
If there isn’t other cross traffic, I’m going no matter what. In MA, we can even take a left on red onto a one way.
Huge majority of lighted intesections could be replaced with roundabouts/rotaries/traffic circles. Cars should not have to sit at idle if nothing is in the way.
