Turning Right on red!?!?!

[mummytothree]

So I have a question for you all!!! Now I know a lot of places have signs that state: No right on red...like this

https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS_8XpTijCISgoNaTJTGbKGs9gmFASrj 8CWTQVxsTYZu4U3x8xV

And obviously you don't turn on red, but today I was at an intersection (4 lanes on all 4 sides of the road) and the sign stated: Right Turn Signal. Like this:

https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTapliTZRrk-xb4vG8mQUe4o43628uiZtGhRrnFXK5_XqSKAhLMVQ

Well I didn't turn on red and the guy behind me was honking and honking and honking at me!!! It was around 12:30PM and it was fairly busy but he pissed me off and even if it would have been midnight without another car in sight I would have still sat there till I got my green arrow/light!!! :cursing:

So what do you all do in those situations.....do you turn on red if the sign only says Right Turn Signal !?!?!?!

BTW...I looked it up and according to the Pennsylvania DVM, that sign means:

RIGHT TURN SIGNAL
This sign is posted close to a
traffic signal to indicate that
the signal controls right turn
movements.

To me that means it's illegal to turn right WITHOUT the light being a green arrow/green!!

[Darcy Baldwin]

In Texas, you can turn right on red after a full stop. Those intersections that do give a right turn signal are for times when you do NOT have to stop at all - you can go through and make a right hand turn because it is protected from the opposite lanes having a protected left turn. Does that make sense.

So here, the right turn signal is for you to be able to go without having to come to a complete stop. If it is not on, you must still come to a complete stop then make your right turn when it it is safe.

[misfitinmn]

Was there a red right turn arrow? If that were the case, I would not have turned. If there WASN'T a red turn arrow, I probably would have turned. Here, sometimes there are lights where if the opposing traffic has a left turn arrow, the right turn signal goes to green so you know you don't have to stop before you turn, then it turns yellow, but there is no actual red turn ARROW, just the red light & I always assume that I can turn right on red in that case.
Does that make any sense whatsoever??

[eranslow]

What Darcy said.

Sorry he honked and honked at you - what a jerk!

[tettletop20]

I have to be honest that sign is confusing! I think you got it right by not turning on red, but I think the more appropriate signage would be the first one. What the heck?! LOL!

Did the light also have a light for the right turn lane? One with an arrow for red, an arrow for yellow, and an arrow for green? That would be helpful too!

[pewtertm]

Yep, what Darcy said.

[Sherri Tierney]

I probably wouldn't have turned. If I'm unsure, I won't chance it. I hate driving in unfamiliar places for this reason.

[lovely1m]

I have never seen a sign like that, I have no idea what I would have done.

[Jen22]

Unless it says specifically NO turn on a red, then I would have turned. Unless my line of sight was blocked by the cars waiting to go - then I would wait for a green light. But I'm an impatient driver, so I'd go if I was able, lol :)

[nun69]

I'm with Darcy, but I don't ever recall seeign a sign like that either...but what a jerk for honking at you!

[wildblueeyez]

I'm with Jen - unless it says no turn, I'm going after I stop. And I hate that second sign - it's very confusing. I live in PA too

[webseitler]

I grew up in FL (where you can turn on red) and when I lived in PA with my husband (who's from there), he would glare at me like an old granny when I wouldn't come to a complete stop before turning right. LOL! I just wasn't used to not being able to go if it was clear.

But I've been at offamps for the interstate where there will be two right lanes and people will treat a red light like a stop sign... that never makes me feel right, even though it is allowed. I guess I feel you can go if you're in the right-most lane, but not if you're in the left-ish right lane. LOL!

[wildblueeyez]

here's my other thought on the "do I turn or not?" question... is that other person behind me honking the horn going to pay MY ticket if I turn on and red when I'm not sure if it's the right thing to do?

I tell myself the same thing when I'm doing the speed limit and people are riding my bumper :glare:

[jessica31876]

I do not drive but I think that traffic laws are confusing and nobody really can know what to do in every intersection. So the guy behind you is a jerk. An example of confusing laws here in Florida. The school my son went to is on a street where when you make a right turn there is a sign to yield to those turning left on the same road yet those turning left on the road would have to yield to you if you were to keep going straight and not turning on the road. Then at several intersections you can get a green arrow and make a left turn on the arrow but if you are doing a u-turn on the green arrow you have to yield to those making a right hand turn. This is not the case at every single intersection though only ones with a sign saying u-turns must yield to right turn. Makes no sense. In your case I think it was safe to just wait for the light and the guy behind was just impatient.

[breakingbrie]

I'd probably have waited for the green, too. I don't think even when you can turn on red that you HAVE to. If I can't see clearly, without a doubt that it's clear around the cars at the light beside me, I just sit and wait. I wouldn't worry about the dude honking, some people are just rude and always in a hurry like that! However, I am a more cautious driver than most! The man who gave me my driving test way back when commented on it :D but he said, better safe than not. I'm still like that.

[heathergw]

What Darcy said... the only time I wait for a green arrow is if the sign says "No Turn On Red"

[AmberK]

yes- this!

Unless it says specifically NO turn on a red, then I would have turned. Unless my line of sight was blocked by the cars waiting to go - then I would wait for a green light. But I'm an impatient driver, so I'd go if I was able, lol :)

[MamaBee]

Depending which right lane you were in... if you were in the closest right lane, then it's okay to turn on the red arrow... if you were in the farther right lane - than no - you have to wait for the arrow to be green... this is what is the law in Wisconsin. ;)

I had a really rude guy honking at me a few weeks back, same situation - turning right... I'm like "dude - there is a building and a row of parked cars - I can't see if traffic is coming - and then it turns green and there was a guy crossing the street..." rude drivers are annoying!

[k23m]

this thread is making me dizzy. LOL

[sprauncey1]

What Darcy and MamaBee said. It is for a protected right turn so you don't have to stop when its green. But stop and go when its safe on the red arrow.

Oh and don't get me started about how people turn left on a red onto a one-way street! I've seen it all.

And for the record. There are no rules here. Except don't get in their way. LOL I don't even notice honking anymore they do it so much here!

[kelley]

Well, I can't say I know for sure what it means because I haven't seen the sign, but around here (Iowa) it will say "no right turn on red" sometimes. If it does not say that, then I would come to a stop and go when it was clear. That is an awfully confusing sign though.