Why isn't every left turn treated as yield on green?

[achimelech51]

A while ago I started running red arrows when there was no oncoming traffic with a solid green light but no left turn yield on green sign. This might be a big red card to some people just because it is something that nobody does, but I don't see a difference. Put a sign up and it becomes the exact same thing. Just seems like a waste of gas and time. I'd like to not break traffic laws to save me that gas and time.

[emek]

Sure... and 99 times out of 100 you can get away with it. But just wait until there's a cop sitting around the corner that you didn't see before you run the light. I'll bet the fine and court costs will cost more than all the gas you have 'saved' by running those lights.

[elton]

You're really not saving that much gas or time to make a difference when running a red light. The reason that some left turn signals have an extended red light and others do not, depends on the intersection itself. Some intersections are busier than others, so people would move forward to try to make the turn, but end up blocking traffic. Some intersections are not as busy,so they do not need the extended red light. Whatever the reason, it's not up to us to decide. I find the most frustating thing is to be sitting at a red light, then have 5/6 cars try to run the left arrows, when it's my turn to go. Driving is learning about how to be patient.

[breasal]

Are you in SoCal by any chance? This place is the Mecca for inefficient traffic lights. Two things cannot go on at the same time all around here. If people are going straight, you're too dumb to make a left turn, so you have to sit at a red. And often, the arrow stays red for a very looooong time. No traffic is coming from the other side, but there you sit. And when some traffic finally does start to come, you still have to sit there until--WAIT!--just as they get to the intersection, their light turns red on them. How stupid. I'm actually starting to get the idea of attending city council meetings about this topic. It's stupid.

I have run these lights in the past, but it's not a habit. A couple of years ago when Adam Carola was still on the public airwaves, he went on a rant about the same thing--especially red arrows at night, no traffic, and they stay red forever. He said he treats them like STOP signs. He figures he saves himself a lot of time over the course of a year that the rare ticket (if ever) will be well worth it.

A road entering my neighborhood just got a new "NO RIGHT ON RED" sign. It's an idiot sign. If you can't make a right turn safely, you're a moron. In fact, I don't think anyone's had any accident there. I think they figured the way the lines are painted, they'd better put a sign there. Almost everyone runs it. Once I got stuck behind a lady in a minivan. I vaguely waved like, "It's safe to go. No one is coming." She very sternly pointed at the "NO TURN" sign. If you need a sign to keep you safe at a right turn, you should turn in your license.