Run a red light?

[dlminehart]

I had a narrow escape this week, involving someone apparently not noticing a red light. On doing a google search, I saw mention of a survey in which a large number of people reported having run a red light in the past year. I was wondering how this forum compares.

I'm defining running a light as going straight through a stop sign or red light, as opposed to performing a "California stop" (slowing down a lot but not really stopping).

[Richard in Smithville]

The only time that I have ever gone through a red was one winter around twenty years ago. It was snowing and as I went to stop I had all the wheels lock up and I slid through. Yes I was driving to the weather but there must have been ice at or near the intersection because I was able to stop with no problem just past the lights. I figured it must have been from people spinning their wheels as they pulled away. As I slid through, I laid on the horn and hoped that the other drivers realized what was happening. They did and I passed unscatherd.

Another time, on the way to work, I was ready to make a left turn( with the advaced green in my favor) and a transport came flying through his red light. I saw him coming and waited while my passenger was ready to s**t his pants.

[LinuxRandal]

There is a technicallity of running a red light where it deals with car placement when the light is green or yellow (for those quick lights). My police officer bil started talking about it once (he was in his personal car heading into work and was pulled over). I don't remember it.

But I have slid through a stop sign this last year. Ice on a road that was various levels do to the city placing in new sewer lines and a water line that broke and froze on a hill.

[TheRic]

I said no, but there were a few times I went thru the yellow and wondered if it had changed while going thru, or just before going thru, and hoped a cop was not around.

Now if you want to talk 2 years ago. There are a few times that I slid thru a stop sign, or started to slide before one, saw no one coming (country roads) and just drove thru. Figured if I tried to stop I would have been in the ditch. Funny thing is it's all the same stop sign. A route I take to/from work.

[MilDoc]

In areas such as Dallas when the light goes green, you are smart to wait. Wayyy too many red-light runners. At one intersection where they installed cameras they issued over 1,000 tickets in 3 months. Idiots.

[Ed62]

I put down "No", but I don't really count the days. At any rate, they are few and far between, and if I run one, it's being due to a very fast light change.

Ed

[kajendo]

No, but I have stopped at a green light for a moment and after realizing what I was doing looked sheepishly as I proceeded thru a yellow.

[jackellis]

Driving often bores me to...well let's just say I get bored at times while driving and my mind drifts off. As a result, my wife generally does the driving when we go places together, except in big cities where I have no trouble staying engaged. On long flying trips (we own a small airplane), she's had to temporarily take command while I take a quick nap on more than one occasion.

Oh yeah, *she's* the one with sleep apnea.

[crokett]

I live in a very rural area and unfortunately have a developed bad habit of treating the stop signs in my area as suggestions, or at least 'almost stopped' signs. Oddly enough when we travel I stop at the signs, or at least I have so far. I have not run a red light in the last year.

[TB Roye]

Two years ago I got caught by a Red light Camera. I was last in line and tried to make it. The ticket and picture came 2 weeks later and cost me $370 vs over $500 to go to traffic school. Sacramento is terrible for Red light runners I can have a green light and watch 5 or 6 cars turn in front of me. Nobody stops on a Red before making a right anymore either and these are not even Hollywood (California ) stops either, they just keep right on going. I almost had a head on accident a month while making a "U" turn on a green arrow and the guy turning right didn't stop if I hadn't hit the brakes we would have hit. Although I had the right a way he gave me the your #1 sign and kept on going. As far a blowing a Red light or stop sign no. The ticket was for not getting far enough into the intersection before the light turned red, my fault. First ticket in over 30 years.

Tom

[Turaj]

I said "No" for the last year but I know that in the past 5 years I have gone through stop signs 2 or 3 times but no one else was around . I am sure I have never run a red light. In Toronto it is very normal to turn left on the yellow (almost red) or you be there for hours. Just have to watch for the other cars (going straight) racing for the light.

[docrowan]

So a guy goes to the big city and rides in a taxi for the first time. As they're driving the cabbie runs through a red light. The guy says "Hey, wasn't that a red light". The cabbie says "Relax, my brother does it all the time."

Next intersection, the cabbie runs the red light again, the guy says "Are you sure it's safe to run the red light?" The cabbie says, "Relax, my brother does it all the time."

Next intersection, same thing again - "Relax, my brother does it all the time."

Finally at the next intersection the light is green, but the cabbie slams on brakes and comes to a screeching halt. The guy spills his coffee everywhere and screams "What are you doing??!" The cabbie says, "Hey, my brother might be coming the other way!"

I said no, although I do come to a rolling "stop" at stop signs when there are no vehicles behind, in front, or either side.

[JimK]

I said "No", I usually won't do it even if I'm in the middle of nowhere. Many, many years ago I was driving home with my wife and son who was only a baby at the time. We came to a traffic light where "no right turn on red" was posted (usually allowed in PA except where a sign says otherwise). No other cars were around, it was late, my son was cranky, we drove by there all the time, so I decided this time I was going to make the turn despite the red light. My wife said "you better not, police often set traps waiting at the gas station" which was right at the corner. I didn't see anything and just wanted to get home so I went through it. Like clockwork, as soon as I made the turn, police lights on a squad car lit up from a dark side of the gas station, the siren went off, and of course I pulled over right away. I looked at my wife, smiled and said "don't say another word". I will tell you that paying the ticket was a lot less painful then knowing there was a big "I told you so" looming out there.

Having said all that, a couple of weeks ago I was coming home from work. There were a lot more cars than usual backed up at a light that usually doesn't have that much traffic. Looking way ahead I could see that the light was not changing, and that it must be broken and stuck on red. We could see way ahead that the 1st car in line was not moving even though there were plenty of times when no other traffic was coming. Now, if I was the first car in line, after waiting 10 minutes at a light that is clearly not going to change, I would run it as soon as I had the first opportunity.

Jim K.

[Knottscott]

True confessions! I can't remember ever intentionally or accidently completely running a red light as if it didn't exist, but I do sometimes violate the 1-2 second zone after the light turns if I'm already committed in the intersection....I"m not a 3rd or 4th car after the light type though. Sometimes on my way to work at 4:45am, I'll take liberties with a light that has no obvious reason for being red when there's not a soul in sight, but I do check things out pretty well before doing that.

[Handy Al]

I trying stop if the light turns yellow before I get to the intersection which usually irritates the person behind me. I have when the conditions are slick gone through with the light turning red. It feels safer than trying to quickly stop.

In my neighbor most people treat stop signs as optional. There