What’s the Deal with Left on Red?
When it’s allowed, and when to wait for green
Following one of my first visits to Marist College as a high school senior back in 2012, my family and I noticed a strange occurrence on our way home. Sitting at a red light waiting to turn left onto Church Street (also known as the East-West Arterial) from Columbus Street, we watched with mouths agape as the car in front of us suddenly turned left, while the light was still red!
Throughout the years, I have seen this happen multiple times at this particular intersection in Poughkeepsie. While the concept of “right on red” has been established nationwide, I was convinced that “left on red” was not similarly acceptable. It turns out that I was wrong, but before you start taking left turns on red at every intersection you encounter, keep reading. Like so many laws, the ability to take a left turn despite a red light depends on the state you’re in as well as the roads you’re on.
According to the New York DMV, left turns on red are permitted only when turning onto a one-way street from another one-way street. This is the case in the above example, as both Church Street and Columbus Street are one-way at that point. However, you must still make a complete stop and yield to pedestrians and oncoming traffic, although the latter shouldn’t exist in this case. New York is one of 37 states as well as Puerto Rico to have this law. In Idaho, Michigan, Oregon and Washington State, the rules are even more relaxed, with drivers allowed to turn left on red onto a one-way street even from a two-way street. On the opposite side of the spectrum, turning left on red is completely illegal, even onto a one-way street, in South Dakota, Connecticut, Maine, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, D.C.,Guam, and New York City.
That’s right — while it is legal in the rest of the state, NYC does not permit left turns on red unless there is a sign explicitly permitting the act. So don’t try to use this to get around Manhattan traffic. In addition, school bus drivers carrying students cannot take a left on red anywhere in the state, so don’t get angry if you’re stuck behind a bus that stays put.
It turns out that my shock all those years ago wasn’t completely unfounded, as turning left on red (even onto a one-way street) is illegal in my home state of Connecticut. As with other elements of driving, the golden rule is to remain aware of your surroundings as well as the laws in the jurisdiction you’re in. That way, you can shave some minutes off your drive while avoiding a potential detour with the police.
