It is Long Past Time to Let British Drivers Turn Left on Red.
Simply put: we propose legalising drivers’ turning left at an intersection on a red light. This policy was introduced in the 1970s, as an energy conservation measure, by American traffic engineers. It is precisely the sort of pro-safety, pro-environment, and trade- and energy-conscious policy which could be swiftly actioned by a common-sense oriented British government. The ‘Right-Turn-On-Red’ policy—as named in the U.S. and other countries which drive on the other side of the road—allows a motorist may make a turn into the flow of traffic, without crossing the median, even on a red light.
There are four good reasons to support this change to the rules of the road.
First and foremost is safety. The UK would have the benefit of being able to evaluate and adopt policies which have been tested and found successful in other large jurisdictions. In this instance, the empirical evidence on the merits of this policy innovation (i.e., turning left on a red light) has already been collected and examined in other jurisdictions. Studies have confirmed that this policy is safe. It is as safe to turn left on a red light as it is to wait for the red light to turn green. 1 Indeed, given that this policy has been tested elsewhere, the time, effort, and cost (if any) spent on running domestic trials should be minimal.
Furthermore, the sooner a car reaches its destination of choice, the sooner the vehicle is off the road, and safely home and dry. The knock on effect of all cars proceeding, rather than waiting at red lights, is to reduce congestion and delays, which in turn will reduce pressure on infrastructure. If travel time is reduced, drivers have less incentive to speed and that makes drivers, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians safer.
Second, this measure is simply good environmental policy. If there is no oncoming traffic, and if there are no pedestrians, then it stands to reason that a motorist should be able to turn, without crossing the median, after making a full stop, and then to clear the junction. By empowering motorists to proceed and to reach their destination in less time, this small tweak in the rules of the road would reduce vehicle emissions.
Third, this measure makes economic sense. From a trade perspective, gasoline comes from abroad, and all consumers pay for it. Moreover, the supply chains for fuel are far from secure. A left-on-red rule will reduce fuel consumption across the board by eliminating engine-running time while the car waits for the light to change to green. Eliminating that waiting time is more money in your pocket, just as it is more time for you to do things other than waiting behind the wheel.
In all, there are numerous good reasons to support this change to the rules of the road. The justifications include: safety, environmentalism, and the economy—including your pocketbook.
* Seth Barrett Tillman, Associate Professor, Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology, Ireland / Scoil an Dlí agus na Coireolaíochta Ollscoil Mhá Nuad
** Daniel Epstein-O’Dowd, Government Relations Consultant, former Political Advisor within the Irish Parliament
1 Anthony Massaad andZaher Massaad, Right-Turn-On-Red impact assessment and volume estimation model for critical intersections (2020) 9(3) International Journal of Transportation Science and Technology, pp 229-238.