Is Turning Right on Red Legal?

You might be wondering, can you turn right on a red light? Doing this might seem dangerous, but it’s actually common practice and perfectly legal in most of the US. That said, it’s only legal when certain conditions are met. Firstly, you need to check if there’s a “no right turn on red” sign. These signs are typically installed to protect bike users on a bike lane or to protect pedestrians.

Before you turn right, you also need to slow down and come to a complete stop at the limit line. This is to ensure you don’t endanger any pedestrians that might be crossing. This also prevents oncoming drivers from being startled. You’re only allowed to proceed if there’s no oncoming traffic and if there aren’t any pedestrians crossing the road.

How Is This Law Enforced?

Red light cameras can enforce no right on red signs. States like California have sensors that detect when you take a right when the stoplight is still red. When the sensor is triggered, the camera at the intersection snaps a photo of your license plate and the driver. You might notice the intersection camera flash. Afterward, a traffic ticket will be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.

You might be wondering, do all no right on red intersections have photo enforcement? Not all intersections have red light cameras. However, they can be quite common, especially if an area is an accident hotspot. If there’s a camera, there’s a chance it might be able to enforce the no right on red law.

Why Turning Right At a Red Light Is Risky

Turning right at red stoplights is legal in many intersections, but right on red laws are being questioned because they can pose some safety risks.

Pedestrians Are at Risk

Pedestrians should feel safe crossing the road when they see a green pedestrian traffic light. However, their safety isn’t fully guaranteed. Not all vehicles that turn at a red light are going to come to a full stop before crossing the pedestrian lane.

It can be easy for an impatient driver to skip this crucial step and just make the turn without coming to a full stop. As long as turning right on red stoplights is legal, drivers are the ones in control when it comes to deciding when it’s safe.

This is the reason why Washington, D.C.’s city council is fully banning right turns at red lights in 2025. Other cities like San Francisco and Chicago are also making plans to ban the right to turn at red stoplights.

Drivers Could Be Distracted

Vehicle drivers are the ones in control when it comes to deciding when it’s safe to turn right. However, drivers can’t always see everything. Drivers can easily get distracted by phones, other passengers, or sometimes their own thoughts.

Difficult to Determine Speed of Oncoming Traffic

When turning right at the stoplight, you’re supposed to yield to vehicles coming from other directions. You’ll need to pay special attention to vehicles coming from your left because these vehicles might be traveling fast or even speeding.

If there’s an oncoming vehicle, you might think you have enough time to make the turn. However, it can be difficult to gauge how fast vehicles are going from your angle.

You’ll only be able to accurately see how fast the vehicle is going if you view it from the side, not the front. Hence, the safest option is to proceed only when there aren’t any oncoming cars.

Overall, turning right on a red light might be legal, but it’s quite risky. If you find yourself turning right on a red light, ensure that you follow the correct procedure so that you don’t endanger others. If the circumstances don’t present a safe time to turn right, don’t force it. Let the vehicles behind you honk their horns. At the end of the day, it’s not worth risking people’s safety just to get to your destination sooner.