[:)]
So much good help on tow away zones and fire houses I’ve started to wonder whether you have pedestrian crossing like our “Zebra Crossings”… black and white stripes about 2’ wide parrallel to the curb with “Belisher Beacons” [a black and white pole with a yellow globe on tops that flashes 24/7 - unique to the UK as far as I know] … or are all your pedestrian crossings traffic light controlled (Walk/Don’t Walk) -[ which always makes me think of the Boomtown Rats - “I Don’t Like Mondays” ].
We also have some junctions marked with a yellow box which is cross checked with six inch yellow stripes making diamonds at least 30" across. Entering one of these “Box junctions” is prohibited unles your exit is clear or you are turning right (You’d be turning left). Do you have these or an equivalent?
Which makes me think again… You can normally make a right turn on a red (traffic) light if the route is clear [I believe]… which gives rise to both accidents - with motorbikes - and “No Right turn on Red” or some such signs??? Are these common? What sort of situations get them?
Once again thanks in advance for the great help you’re all providing [:p][:p][:p]
Quote: “You can normally make a right turn on a red (traffic) light if the route is clear [I believe]…”
Woody Allen the comedian, a fan of New York City life, once said that the only “cultural” advantage of California was the right turn on red law.
I am not familiar with many accidents because of “right turn on red.” We do not have a lot of riders on small motorbikes here, who stay in the right hand lane. We have riders of BIG motorcycles who ride in the main traffic lane (or sometimes wherever the @#$% they want, and at whatever speed.)
“No right turn on red” signs are commonly found at intersections where there would be confusion, such as at a five-way intersection where one interpretation of a right turn would be a conflicting movement.
In Texas, “right turn on red” also allows LEFT turn on red in certain circumstances, namely if you are driving on a one way street where it would be permissible to drive on the left side of the street, turning left to another one-way street. In that move, just as with red turn, one does not cross any conflicting traffic.
I had never heard of “yellow box junctions” but we have left turn only lanes at most major intersections.
I’ve seen pedestrian crossings (usually in the middle of a block, away from intersections) with the zebra striping you describe, but most are simply bordered by wide (200 - 250mm) white stripes. The zebra crossings often have “school” signage (lowered speed limit, flashing yellow lights on overhead signs and a yellow rectangular sign slightly different from the usual pedestrian crossing type, depicting schoolkids in silhouette) and often have dedicated push-button traffic signals. At intersections with traffic signals, the poles at the street corners will have button boxes, and there will be illuminated annunciators above them (white walking figure or “WALK,” yellow “stop” hand or “DON’T WALK.”).
The U.S. equivalent of a Box Junction is a four-way stop. All directions of traffic must stop for the usual octagonal red American stop sign. Rules of the road (tested before issuance of a driver’s license or learner’s permit) control who moves first. There is usually a small rectangular sign, black lettering on white, on the same post and immediately below the stop sign, lettered “4-WAY.”
“No right turn on red” signs are posted wherever the municipal safety engineer thinks there might be a danger of collision or interference with emergency vehicles. The one nearest my house is at an asymmetric crossing (think St Andrew’s cross) with a non-standard traffic light operating sequence and really poor visibility. The usual rule, usually observed, is, “Right turn on red permitted after stop.” It is the driver’s responsibility to give the entire area a careful scan before proceeding.
Motorbikes are actually quite rare in the US. Accidents with their bigger brothers, motorcycles, are usually a result of driver inattention and frequently involve excessive speed or driver impairment.
Chuck
Outside of major metropolitan areas, Walk/Don’t Walk signals are rare. Most places pedestrian traffic is controlled by the same signals that control vehicular traffic.
Unless posted you can make rights on red (at least in PA) after stopping. No Turn On Red signs are typically posted at heavily traveled interections, interections were there are visibllty issues, or where the one road has a high speed limit. Also in PA, you can turn left on red, if you are turning from a one way street onto another one way street.
The box junction David is refering to could be the “suicide lanes” over here - that third lane down the middle of some roads used for making left turns, or in some places as a passing lane.
Nick