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Why do Americans jump red lights???

A

Aviator32

Guest
I'm still on vacation in Arizona and I'm getting fed up with risking my life every time I cross the road. Tell me if I'm being unreasonable - I don't drive so I honestly don't know.

I get to a cross walk, watch the traffic lights and wait for them to turn red for straight ahead and red for turning left or right and for the green light/green man on the cross walk to appear and nine times out of ten a car turning left or right will look to see if a car is coming and illegally sneak around the corner without looking to see if anyone might be legitimately crossing the road right in front of them. Is this normal practise in America? I've seen cars, buses, schoolbuses, ambulences - everyone do it and nobody looks to see if anyone is crossing the road first - just if there is a car coming the other way. Several times I've been close to being hit. I turn around to check the lights and they are red - the car has jumped the lights, as does the car behind him and the car behind him.

Where does the law stand on this? Are you guilty of doing this yourself? What would a patrol car do if they saw this happening? If I get hit can I sue the driver and pay for this holiday?

On a related note - there don't seem to be any traffic cameras here. In London, if you go through a red light or do a U turn where you shouldn't you will get a fine in the mail a day or two later - there are cameras everywhere. I haven't noticed any here.
 
Aviator32, right turns on red are legal most everywhere in the US as long as nothing is coming the other way. I live in Illinois at the moment, and in a crosswalk, foot traffic should have the right of way. I'm constantly amazed at how people drive in high congested areas and out on the freeways! Driving defensively takes on another whole meaning!

Stay safe!
 
In many parts of the US (and here in Canada too) turning right on a red light is allowed and expected (you can even fail your driving test if you do not proceed if it is safe to do so). Generally the rules are that you must stop at the intersection and only proceed if there is no oncoming traffic (from the left).

Pedestrians on crosswalks should have right of way but of course a lot of drivers are just too impatient and downright rude when it comes to foot traffic. :angryfir:
 
Odie said:
Aviator32, right turns on red are legal most everywhere in the US as long as nothing is coming the other way. I live in Illinois at the moment, and in a crosswalk, foot traffic should have the right of way. I'm constantly amazed at how people drive in high congested areas and out on the freeways! Driving defensively takes on another whole meaning!

Stay safe!
Click to expand...

Thank you Odie - I didn't realise it was legal. My guess is that nobody looks to see if anyone is crossing the road because 95% of the time nobody is as nobody ever walks anywhere!! And yet I'm using the bus several times a day and most of the time I'm the only one on it. I don't drive because I have some health problems which affected my peripheral vision and I am not allowed a driving licence (I am allowed to fly though funnily enough), but it makes me wonder what people in the States do who are in a similar situation. Maybe they stay at home?
It's not as bad here as it is in LA where I am actually heckled for walking, people lean out of the window and shout things - but you do feel a bit like an outcast here and going to Safeway for some groceries takes hours!
 
In general, I have found standards of driving in the U.S. (admittedly most of my driving has been in New England) a lot higher than back home. Courteous indeed.

The right turn on the red light, and the four-way crossing rule (first come, first to go) would be brilliant introductions here, but for the average British driver these are concepts which are much too advanced........

Especially, it has to be said, for our 'lady' drivers.

(Oh dear, I sense another broadside coming from Pittsburgh....:sniper: )
 
Tako_Kichi said:
In many parts of the US (and here in Canada too) turning right on a red light is allowed and expected (you can even fail your driving test if you do not proceed if it is safe to do so). Generally the rules are that you must stop at the intersection and only proceed if there is no oncoming traffic (from the left).

Pedestrians on crosswalks should have right of way but of course a lot of drivers are just too impatient and downright rude when it comes to foot traffic. :angryfir:
Click to expand...


Thank you Larry. It must be interesting when Americans come to the UK for the first time and wonder why they keep getting fined for going through red lights.
 
Your life is at risk with the drivers we have here, be cautious and keep an eye out, DO NOT assume they will stop, even AFTER you get a green light look both ways to make sure some a$$wipe isnt on the phone,texting or in a hurry to get to the bar and blows through his red light. I see it every single day here and Im sure its not that different any where else.
 
Well here in the US, a person is considered innocent until proven guilty, unlike your country.
Traffic violations need to be observed by an officer who can testify in court to your identity and the fact he witnessed your violation.
A camera can't.
Which is why in many states, including my own, it has been declared unconstitutional to use cameras for strictly traffic enforcement.
They only violations where a car owner can be specifically cited, without being identified by an officer, are violations for driving past school buses when their stop lights and arms are activated.

Oh, and welcome to the US, especially out west there in Arizona.
We're a "car culture".
Where almost everyone drives a car, and pedestrians are generally the exception.
 
Emil Frand said:
Your life is at risk with the drivers we have here, be cautious and keep an eye out, DO NOT assume they will stop, even AFTER you get a green light look both ways to make sure some a$$wipe isnt on the phone,texting or in a hurry to get to the bar and blows through his red light. I see it every single day here and Im sure its not that different any where else.
Click to expand...

Obviously you've never been to India... :icon_lol:

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Or Shanghai...

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And forget about suing as the driver is likely to back over you to finish you off to prevent a lawsuit. Just kidding, take care!
 
lefty said:
The right turn on the red light, and the four-way crossing rule (first come, first to go) would be brilliant introductions here
Click to expand...
Hmmm...dunno about that Lefty! Turning right on a red light in the UK could lead to some major pile-ups! :icon_lol:

The four-way crossing rule would be good and would eliminate all those 'you go, no you go' sessions at crossroads although you rarely see a situation like that as the UK has almost no intersections where all roads have a stop sign. Usually one of the roads is given priority status (i.e. is straight-through) and the two roads joining it have stop signs (or give way signs).
 
Aviator32,

Sorry you experienced those problems. I am thankful for living in the country now. I rarely venture to the city, as a result. Driving back from Pensacola yesterday, I ended up right smack dab in the middle rush hour traffic - downtown Atlanta. Wouldn't wish that nightmare on anyone, period. You have to be 100% alert, and expect idiots to come out of the woodwork, which they always do. Trying to keep a "safe" distance when driving in conditions like that is impossible, I find. As soon as you do, some bozo immediately swerves in front of you. Unbelievable. Oh, and then you have to contend with the mindless fool that insists on following 2 feet behind you.

NC
 
Having driven for years both in Europe and in the U.S. I'd have to say the European drivers are generally more aggressive....I didn't say bad, just more aggressive.

My one caution for Europeans driving here is what is readily acceptable in Europe, would be seen as extremely rude in the states.

Oh yes, we have right turn on red.

That being said, I also would say that Europeans tend to stick to rules more rigidly (except for Italy, where I'm not sure there are any rules -- just suggestions).

I would also like to formally beg forgiveness from my friends in the UK, who had to put up with me trying to force myself onto the wrong side of the road. I was fine on the highway and roads, but in a parking lot I inevitably found myself drifting over....very odd.

And to that nice man I nearly gave a heart attack to outside Maidenhead, I hope you've gotten over your shock of seeing me enter the motorway from the wrong direction. As you could clearly see after you stopped screaming, I figured it out all on my own.

I hope the stain wasn't permanent.
 
Pedestrians are an endangered species in most of AZ. Especially in Snottsdale. Keep your eyes and ears open at all times when walking, even in such "pedestrian friendly" places as 5th Avenue. Too many pinheads busy yakking on the cell, texting, and generally not paying attention. I've lived out here most of my life, and am constantly amazed at how poorly people are driving lately. I drive a mail truck, and people are constantly pulling out in front of me as if I wasn't there. More than one carrier has been struck and even killed by inattentive drivers out here.
 
Tako_Kichi said:
a lot of drivers are just too impatient and downright rude when it comes to foot traffic. :angryfir:
Click to expand...

No more rude than the morons riding bicycles around here. They think they can go whenever they please...

I HATE when people on bikes start riding across the intersection on a green arrow (AND while on the sidewalks...) >_<;
 
In my town, most of the drivers are Armenians who buy food with food stamps, then speed away in their BMW's and Benz's. Very dangerous drivers! Blow stopsigns, pass across double yellows,
pull out of alleys and driveways as if they have right-of-way. All the time they stare you down like you're the newcomer. And don't get me started on their littering...
 
Running red lights is really bad down here in NZ.

I mean how hard is it to understand ..... red means STOP.

Pete.
 
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