Whenever I drive to an unfamiliar state I worry that I have finally encountered the legendary state where it’s illegal to turn right on red. So I finally checked, and found that turning right on red is legal in the whole of United States, except for New York City. Maybe Mayim Bialik can do a “The More You Know” about this.
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My mother, a Bronx native, always worried about the “right on red” laws when we traveled. We tried to tell her it was only illegal in the city, but she still asked AAA when we picked up those Trip-Tiks.
Only once my ten years in Boston did I hear that it was legal to go left on red from a one way street. No one seemed to do it.
When I went to college at Ball State University the city of Muncie Indiana had a “no right on red” ordinance, so NYC isn’t the only place. Nearly everyone flaunted the rule and it seemed to be rarely enforced.
In all the places I’ve ever lived a “no right on red” was always an intersection by intersection decision made by whomever was incharge of traffic flow. Although I can understand why it would be a traffic regulation in NYC.
Besides being the only place that it is illegal to make right turn on red … NYC refuses to post signs as you enter the city. Staten Island is also part of NYC and they enforce the regulation there as well (no signs). The city probably counts on this revenue from ticketing offenders or else they would post the regulation. There are No Turn on Red signs as you leave JFk airport but not at the bridge and tunnel crossings as you enter NYC.