Question About U-Turns

[minDyG]

I did a search but couldn't find anything pertaining to this so here is my question.

I have long been aware of the (supposedly little-known) law that states--at least in the state of Georgia--that if you are making a left-hand turn at a red light from a one-way street onto another one-way street, that it is okay to go on red because it is the same as turning right at a regular stoplight (since you're only yielding to traffic coming from one direction). I have freaked out at least a few passengers by honoring this allowance in downtown Athens, GA, where there are quite a few criss-crossed one-way streets.

Anyway, my question pertains to U-turns. I have logically deduced this out in my head and to me it makes perfect sense...but I just wonder if I'm being stubborn just because I want to be right about it. Say you are driving down a divided highway (the kind with a cement barrier between the two opposite directions of traffic but not the kind with an actual median), and you arrive at a stop-light where you need to make a U-Turn...if the light for the left-turn lane is a red arrow or even if the light is red altogether, as long as no one is coming from the other direction (i.e. not perpendicular but parallel--the complete opposite direction), what would it hurt by going ahead and making the U-turn? To me, this is the same traffic exchange as making a left turn from one one-way street onto another one-way street at a red light.

Am I onto something here, or am I just looking for an excuse to run red lights?

[LPIDelta]

Well...how do you know that the oncoming traffic (the cars traveling in the opposite direction of you but on the same road) do not have a green light?

Does that make sense?

[1908Revelations]

I do it all of the time

[aephi alum]

My guess is no. You can make a right on red because you're hardly entering the intersection at all, and there's only one place interference can come from - your left. It's similar if you want to make a left on red from one one-way street onto another (this is legal in New York State as well, with the exception of New York City, where even rights on red are illegal unless there's a sign saying it's ok). But if you're making a U-turn, you have to get pretty far into the intersection to execute the turn, and you can get interference from your left, the oncoming direction, and possibly your right.

Also, if there's a red left arrow (not just a red light but an actual red arrow) you can't even make the left, never mind the U-turn.

However, if you have a green left arrow, it's guaranteed that oncoming traffic and traffic to your right would have a red light, so in that case you can make the U-turn.

[UGAalum94]

Take a left on red from Lumpkin to Washington for me!
Woo hoo, Athens, Georgia!

(But Athens makes up for this potential left-on-red fun by banning rights on red at other random intersections. I'm pretty sure you can't go right on red at Baldwin and Lumpkin, right? I know I got a pretty pricey ticket and got pulled over into what used to be the health center (but is now the Romance Language department, I think) while I was there. It was kind of embarrassing for a lot of reasons.)

[DeltAlum]

Logic has nothing to do with it.

What does the law in your state say?

[Tom Earp]

Are you really that stupid?

Answer to your post is no, right turn on red only after stop!

If I was in my Police car and saw you do that, well, a ticket!

You Obey the lights.

[Tom Earp]

Usaually U-Turns will follow along the same lines!

They are dangerous and can get you and others killed!

[minDyG]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

Are you really that stupid?

Answer to your post is no, right turn on red only after stop!

If I was in my Police car and saw you do that, well, a ticket!

You Obey the lights.

Tom Earp, did YOU just call me stupid?

[minDyG]

Originally Posted by AlphaGamUGAAlum

Take a left on red from Lumpkin to Washington for me!
Woo hoo, Athens, Georgia!

(But Athens makes up for this potential left-on-red fun by banning rights on red at other random intersections. I'm pretty sure you can't go right on red at Baldwin and Lumpkin, right? I know I got a pretty pricey ticket and got pulled over into what used to be the health center (but is now the Romance Language department, I think) while I was there. It was kind of embarrassing for a lot of reasons.)

You can go right on red there now, but that could easily be a recent development. The left on red that I most often would do was left onto Hull from Washington.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by minDyG

Tom Earp, did YOU just call me stupid?

I believe he did. And yet he claims that other people are so rude.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by minDyG

You can go right on red there now, but that could easily be a recent development. The left on red that I most often would do was left onto Hull from Washington.

It seemed stupid that it wasn't allowed then, hence I think, why I never even saw the sign prohibiting it. (It was particularly annoying because it was late at night with no traffic other than Mr. Police Officer and me, so any immediate, real safety issues were moot.)

In general, with left turns, I think when there is a separate arrow, it means you can't go at all until it's green again, even you'd be clear to turn at a light with no arrow. The arrow being red is just as legally binding as a red light.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by minDyG

I did a search but couldn't find anything pertaining to this so here is my question.

I have long been aware of the (supposedly little-known) law that states--at least in the state of Georgia--that if you are making a left-hand turn at a red light from a one-way street onto another one-way street, that it is okay to go on red because it is the same as turning right at a regular stoplight (since you're only yielding to traffic coming from one direction). I have freaked out at least a few passengers by honoring this allowance in downtown Athens, GA, where there are quite a few criss-crossed one-way streets.

Anyway, my question pertains to U-turns. I have logically deduced this out in my head and to me it makes perfect sense...but I just wonder if I'm being stubborn just because I want to be right about it. Say you are driving down a divided highway (the kind with a cement barrier between the two opposite directions of traffic but not the kind with an actual median), and you arrive at a stop-light where you need to make a U-Turn...if the light for the left-turn lane is a red arrow or even if the light is red altogether, as long as no one is coming from the other direction (i.e. not perpendicular but parallel--the complete opposite direction), what would it hurt by going ahead and making the U-turn? To me, this is the same traffic exchange as making a left turn from one one-way street onto another one-way street at a red light.

Am I onto something here, or am I just looking for an excuse to run red lights?

In my city, you can make a left hand turn @ a two way stop where the lanes are one way only.

But i'm pretty sure that it is illegal to make a U-Turn on a red light. How would you know that you'd be safe to make a U-Turn. Sure you don't see the person coming at first, but then all of a sudden *BAM* there they are out of nowhere, driving like a bat outta hell.

I'd say to be safe, i'd make a U-Turn when the light turns green. It ISN'T the same as making a left turn on a one way street (left turn is the same as making a regular right hand turn on a red light).

[AGDee]

In Michigan, it's only legal if there is a meridian that is at least 60 feet wide, so a cement barrier alone probably wouldn't let it qualify. You would still have to stop at the red first, then proceed if traffic is clear.

[smiley21]

Originally Posted by epchick

In my city, you can make a left hand turn @ a two way stop where the lanes are one way only.

But i'm pretty sure that it is illegal to make a U-Turn on a red light. How would you know that you'd be safe to make a U-Turn. Sure you don't see the person coming at first, but then all of a sudden *BAM* there they are out of nowhere, driving like a bat outta hell.

I'd say to be safe, i'd make a U-Turn when the light turns green. It ISN'T the same as making a left turn on a one way street (left turn is the same as making a regular right hand turn on a red light).

This whole thread is confusing me, so I could be repeating something. I do agree that it is illegal and dangerous. You think it is clear at first, but what about when your back is turned to the traffic after making the u-turn? It takes time to get at normal speed. I see enough trouble when it is just a green light (not an arrow) and the left turn lane has to yield to oncoming traffic. Also, what about the cars that are making a right turn into the same lane that you are trying to u-turn into?