LehighValleyNews.com asked readers for input for The Road Ahead, our ongoing project examining local traffic and road safety. They rose to the challenge and shared their takes on road design, traffic patterns, driving trends, public transit and more. Each week, The Road Scholar will review some of the concerns driving Lehigh Valley motorists. Comments from readers have been edited for grammar, space and clarity.
I find it quite frustrating that PennDOT uses "Right Turn Signal" signs. Many drivers seem to believe they function as "No Turn on Red" signs. In other words, they view them as I can only turn if the signal (green arrow) is on.
This leads to a ton of wasted time and fuel with drivers sitting at intersections when no cross traffic is present. PennDOT must feel that these signs benefit the traveling pubic somehow, but I don't see it. The most benefit may be to OTHER drivers at the intersection, turning left or going straight, so they know that green arrow doesn't apply to them. I think it is a flawed system, in any event. ~ Don M.
Show of hands: How many of you reading this knew you could make a right on red when there's a red-arrow stoplight? That's assuming there isn't a "No Turn On Red" sign posted at the intersection.
Much of the LehighValleyNews.com newsroom didn't.
If you don't believe me, you can get it straight from PennDOT's website.
"A steady red arrow means you must stop and may not turn in the direction the arrow points. Wait for a green arrow or a flashing yellow arrow before you start. The same turns-on-red that are allowed for a steady red signal are allowed for a steady red arrow," it reads. (The emphasis is mine.)
Don and I have discussed red arrows outside of this series, and we're of a like mind. I tend to think green arrows are more easily understood when specific lanes need to be given the right-of-way, but I will concede there may be scenarios when red arrows are necessary.
Overall, though, this touches on a familiar issue experts raised during The Road Ahead project — there's a need for continuing education for drivers after they get their license.
While experience behind the wheel can go a long way toward improved driving skills, knowing the rules of the road is important. And if it's been decades since someone studied for the driver's test, they're bound to forget some things — assuming they knew them to begin with.
Exhibit A of this phenomenon is the brief driver's ed test LehighValleyNews.com posted. The average participant scored a 52% on the test, well below a passing mark.
We require that doctors, attorneys, teachers and accountants undergo continued education; while driving may not be viewed through the same lens as those professions, safe driving is a huge factor in public safety.
In case you need a refresher, drivers at red lights are still required to come to a full stop. They should only turn if there are no pedestrians, cyclists or vehicles within the right of way — and it's not marked "No Turn on Red," of course.
I'll remind readers that drivers aren't obligated to turn right on red — the law says may. At the end of the day, the goal is for everyone to safely arrive at their destinations.
While a polite beep to encourage someone to make the right is fair, there's no need to lean on the horn because someone is electing to stop at a stop light.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Want to be plugged in to all things traffic and transit in the Lehigh Valley? Sign up for Tom Shortell's weekly Road Scholar newsletter and get it delivered to your in-box every Tuesday. Better yet, tell him what you're thinking — or what you want to know — at toms@lehighvalleynews.com.
