Right on red? Trust, but verify

Wow, I can feel the tension in those e-mails. Readers want to trust the Road Worrier — but sometimes they need to verify his advice. My advice.

They test my truthiness -- by poking it with a stick.

That’s good. Test me. I can handle it. I like it. It keeps me strong.

Take right-on-red and right-turn red arrows, a small subject of continuing interest to a steady stream of correspondents. Every year a few readers ask whether right turns are encouraged, merely allowed, or forbidden at red right arrows.

The Road Worrier reported ("The light's red, but it points to confusion") that North Carolina disagrees with some other states about rights and reds. Red arrows are used only in turn lanes, but in N.C. they carry exactly the same message as solid circular red lights for drivers (and for cops who enforce our traffic laws):

1. Solid red and red arrow both require you to stop, always.

2. The right-turn-on-red law works the same in both cases. Stop first, then you may turn right after you yield to all other traffic in the intersection — if it is safe to do so.

3. Righ-on-red is legal except at intersections where a sign says it is not allowed.

4. (I forgot to mention this part) Right on red is always YOUR option. No matter who’s blowing a horn up your tailpipe. If you’d rather sit there and wait for a green light, you’re entitled.

Thus spake the Road Worrier. I got about 15 calls and e-mails.

Reader Ernie Murphrey was glad to have the matter resolved:

You answered a question I had often wondered about - have never been sure whether it was legal to turn right on red when you have a red arrow. That was great - I suspect a lot of other people were pleased to learn what the law is as well.

And reader Lane Tracy realized he or she had been wrong all these years:

Thanks very much for the report on the proper way to treat red arrows in the right turn lane. I am one of the imported beepees who has been clogging up the lane while waiting for a green light. I even beeped back, thinking that those behind me must be wrong. I will henceforth do as the locals do, even though it seems illogical to me.

You’re welcome. Next week, we’ll talk about ...

Wait. What’s this? Some of you have doubts?

John Hensley and Peter Eckle separately dug up the same state law that was amended a year ago to allow right-on-red at “a steady red circular light.” No mention of arrows. Aha!

As Hensley wrote:

Unless there is another superseding statute that I could not find, it would appear that making a right turn on a steady red arrow after stopping is clearly a violation of the NC traffic laws and should result in a ticket for those who are caught doing so. Perhaps you could discuss this with the NC Highway Patrol spokesman again.

And Fred L. Johnson dug deeper. He found the National Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices. He concluded that the Road Worrier and the Highway Patrol were “confused.” Aha!

According to the current (2003) edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (including Revision 1 dated November 2004 and Revision 2 dated December 2007), right turns on red arrows are clearly and explicitly prohibited unless a sign stating otherwise is posted. ...

[ . . . and then he quotes several generous passages, which pretty clearly say what he says they say: no right on red arrow . . . ]

Talk about confusion! Our law enforcement officers don't seem know the law.

So I assured Fred and John that I knew what they were talking about. But I knew what I was talking about, too. Here's the shortish version:

The N.C. law says what John says it says. But the people who wrote it (including Kevin Lacy, the state traffic engineer) and enforce it (including Capt. Everett Clendenin of the State Highway Patrol) do not interpret it to exclude right-on-red-arrow. For what it's worth, the statute says right on red is allowed -- but it does not say "only" -- at solid red circular signals. For some reason, our statutes make no mention of any red arrow traffic signals -- or of any green arrow traffic signals, for that matter.

The national traffic manual says what Fred says it says. But it also includes a separate chapter in which North Carolina lays out the traffic laws in which it takes a different approach — including North Carolina’s decision to allow right-on-red-arrow.

After Fred found this and verified it for himself, he was satisfied.

Trust me.