[chasd00]

heh a couple summer's ago in Dallas i got hit by a police officer while crossing the street. Ironically, while he was on his cell phone. I had to do the whole ninja-roll thing over the hood and on to the pavement. Came out of it with only a sore wrist and a funny story for the conference call i was late to.

a buddy of mine grabbed a guy and pulled him out of the way of a city bus. The guy had the light to cross and the bus was making a turn while watching for traffic and not people. My friend saved a life that day.

while crossing a fairly busy street, again in Dallas, a girl about 10 feet in front of me got completely leveled by, yet again, a car turning right watching for traffic and not people. She was not ok.

Dallas isn't that friendly to pedestrians

[nkrisc]

Honestly I think right turns on red should be illegal at more intersections for this reason. At least busier ones. It's these cases where a right turner has to carefully watch for oncoming traffic that pedestrians are exactly opposite of where they're looking. God forbid you're trying to cross from the same side of the street as the right turner.

[electricslpnsld]

NYC outlaws rights on red unless otherwise posted and it makes life as a pedestrian so much better.

[RandallBrown]

Neither pedestrians nor drivers follow traffic laws in NYC. "Go when you can, don't hit anyone" seems to be the only "rule" anyone follows. I'm continuously surprised at how well it works.

In a year of walking around midtown, I've only seen one person hit by a car and it was very much the pedestrians fault fault. They walked out from behind a hot dog stand into the street, not at a crosswalk.

[Wowfunhappy]

It's a shame that NYC drivers never seem to follow this. I see even commercial vehicles like trucks regularly turn on red.

Although, I suppose the situation would be even worse if it wasn't outlawed...

[mdhen]

This isn't true. I don't think I've ever seen anyone try a right on red in Manhattan and while I'm sure it happens occasionally in the boroughs I really don't ever see it. Not sure what you're talking about

[Wowfunhappy]

Honestly not sure what to say, I see it constantly in Manhattan, as a pedestrian.

[jhbadger]

Exactly. A lot of drivers seem to think that right-on-red gives them the right of way over pedestrians crossing with a walk light and it doesn't. I've been hit once (fortunately not seriously) and honked at many times while crossing a street on foot completely correctly.

[trophycase]

People just need to learn to check their right side mirror before turning.

[JoeAltmaier]

Here's the thing drivers - if you turn right and don't check over your right shoulder for the bike or pedestrian, then one day you will be that guy that kills somebody. Its just a matter of time.

Always, always glance over your right shoulder when turning right.

[notacoward]

I'd go further and say that you should always keep track of cyclists and pedestrians you see before the intersection. If you don't know where they went, assume they're in your path. Case in point: I was coming up to an intersection, right-turn indicator on, cyclist comes blasting through in the right as the the light turns. He's lucky I was the first in line and had noted his position two blocks before, because I guarantee that with any other driver in front he would have earned himself a Darwin Award.

[cr1895]

This is one of those things that makes it difficult to replicate the traffic safety of the Netherlands elsewhere...drivers are just way more aware of and respectful of cyclists in their environment. It's cultural.

[jessaustin]

Urban cyclists in USA learn to be hypersensitive to this situation. If the car is approaching the intersection and does anything to make a turn seem possible, don't pass on the right. Take the lane behind the car and be ready to pass on the left, between lanes. Lane-splitting by a cyclist is a totally normal maneuver. In stopped traffic, it is strictly better than riding on the right. In slowly-moving traffic, it's often better.

[JoeAltmaier]

All true. But I was thinking of the kid on a skateboard or bike, or even a jogger, on the sidewalk.

[nmc]

Wow! OK so Today I Learned: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turn_on_red

Turning right on a red light is prohibited in many countries, unless indicated by a separate, arrow-shaped (green or orange) light. Surprised to learn that it is however allowed in most of the USA.

[mercutio2]

Even less common knowledge, it’s not just right on red, it’s turning any time you wouldn’t cross a lane going an unrelated direction.

To wit, left turns from one one-way street onto another one-way street are also allowed on red (if you’re not in NYC).

[cleetus]

I moved from Dallas to Minneapolis and was certain I would feel safer walking and biking because of it's reputation as a bike friendly city. In Dallas, it seemed somewhat understandable to me for drivers not to except to see pedestrians and bikers because there just aren't that many of them - the city is so spread out. But the drivers in Minneapolis are straight up entitled, aggressive, and dangerous in high foot traffic areas. Right turn on red and and stop signs are treated as roll throughs, and only if there isn't oncoming traffic. I felt safer as a pedestrian living in NYC than I have in either Dallas or Minneapolis.

[electricslpnsld]

> But the drivers in Minneapolis are straight up entitled, aggressive, and dangerous in high foot traffic areas.

I’ve had a similar experience since moving to Pittsburgh, I see drivers lose it and freak out at pedestrians in high foot traffic areas. Midwest drivers need to chill!

[gruez]

>heh a couple summer's ago in Dallas i got hit by a police officer while crossing the street. Ironically, while he was on his cell phone.

did the officer get disciplined for this?