‘Pedestrian life is non-negotiable’: Portland moves to restrict right turns at more red lightsSubscribe to KOIN 6's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/...
Is there any research on the danger of right on red? Theoretically existing laws prevent unsafe acceleration so any pedestrian interaction from a full stop would happen at well below 10mph. Practically, that’s not always true so I do think that it makes sense to disallow it case by case (area with high pedestrian traffic, obscured crossing), but overall it doesn’t feel much worse than turning into a driveway across a sidewalk.
And more but you get the point and that’s not even getting into non US countries where road standards are more pedestrian-centric.
The conflict arises because at a red light all the driver’s attention is left watching for oncomming traffic making it easy to miss a pedestrian on the right - a pedestrian that technically has the rightaway. And if visability is low - say it’s dark, raining, foggy, or you drive an SUV with that giant frame bar running along the side of your windshield - it’s easy to miss someone in the crossing. Especially if they are low because they are a child or in a mobility chair. Safest thing to do is not have pedestrians and vehicles competing for the same space at the same time.
Lol not only do most people never come to a full stop before turning right on red, but also I’ve known many many people who don’t even realize you have to stop before doing it (they think “right on red” means you can treat it as a green light if you’re turning right). The whole danger to pedestrians is that the drivers are looking left to see if cars are coming from that direction and won’t even see the pedestrian until they’re splattered across their bumper.
Some intersections where I live have signs that say “right turn on red after complete stop” which pisses me off because that’s always the case. The signs imply that otherwise you don’t have to stop before turning right.
Is there any research on the danger of right on red? Theoretically existing laws prevent unsafe acceleration so any pedestrian interaction from a full stop would happen at well below 10mph. Practically, that’s not always true so I do think that it makes sense to disallow it case by case (area with high pedestrian traffic, obscured crossing), but overall it doesn’t feel much worse than turning into a driveway across a sidewalk.
YES. OMG so many studies.
https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/1322/dot_1322_DS1.pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S000145752400455X
https://transweb.sjsu.edu/sites/default/files/2347-Appleyard-Pedestrian-Bicyclist-Safety-Intersections-Policy.pdf
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/03611981251398754
And more but you get the point and that’s not even getting into non US countries where road standards are more pedestrian-centric.
The conflict arises because at a red light all the driver’s attention is left watching for oncomming traffic making it easy to miss a pedestrian on the right - a pedestrian that technically has the rightaway. And if visability is low - say it’s dark, raining, foggy, or you drive an SUV with that giant frame bar running along the side of your windshield - it’s easy to miss someone in the crossing. Especially if they are low because they are a child or in a mobility chair. Safest thing to do is not have pedestrians and vehicles competing for the same space at the same time.
Lol not only do most people never come to a full stop before turning right on red, but also I’ve known many many people who don’t even realize you have to stop before doing it (they think “right on red” means you can treat it as a green light if you’re turning right). The whole danger to pedestrians is that the drivers are looking left to see if cars are coming from that direction and won’t even see the pedestrian until they’re splattered across their bumper.
Some intersections where I live have signs that say “right turn on red after complete stop” which pisses me off because that’s always the case. The signs imply that otherwise you don’t have to stop before turning right.
Clearly making a thing that is already illegal double illegal will give the desired results.