The Tide is Turning on Right Turns on Red

In a segment for NPR, Ally Schweitzer highlights a growing movement to ban right turns on red, a 1970s policy that leads to more pedestrian deaths and injuries.

Schweitzer notes Washington, D.C.’s recent decision to prohibit cars from turning right on red lights, adding that San Francisco, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and other cities are doing the same.

According to San Francisco city supervisor Dean Preston, “We saw an 80% decrease in close calls and a 70% decrease in vehicles blocking or encroaching the sidewalks during red lights” after making the change in that city’s Tenderloin district.

Road safety advocates say turning right on red increases the likelihood of car-pedestrian collisions and forces drivers into crosswalks. According to a 2023 Fast Company article, “A 1982 study found that the new policy triggered a sharp increase in crashes involving conflicts between a pedestrian or cyclist and a right-turning vehicle. In Ohio, for instance, such collisions rose 57% for pedestrians and 80% for cyclists; in Wisconsin, the figures were 107% and 72%, respectively.”

If driving through an intersection without stopping may be more fuel-efficient, American cities could consider traffic circles and roundabouts as another option for maintaining traffic flow and reducing congestion.