Denver Road Safety Advocates Call for Banning Right Turns on Red

The city could join others that have ended the practice, which contributes to the high number of pedestrian deaths.

1 minute read

February 20, 2024, 8:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Close-up of 'No Right Turn on Red' sign in San Francisco, California.

'No Right Turn on Red' sign in San Francisco, California. | Matthew Ashmore / Adobe Stock

An advocacy group called the Denver Streets Partnership is urging the city of Denver to ban right turns on red, which have been shown to increase the risk of collisions with pedestrians.

“According to the Denver Police Department's crash dashboard, 32 pedestrians were killed on city streets last year. That’s up 113% from a decade prior,” writes Claire Lavezzorio for ABC 7.

Right turns on red, which were legalized in the 1970s as a fuel-saving response to the gas crisis, lead to drivers blocking crosswalks and failing to notice pedestrians, causing more deadly crashes.

Cities like New York and Seattle have banned right turns on red, while San Francisco county supervisors initiated a plan to do so late last year.

Sunday, February 18, 2024 in ABC 7

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