Posted: 9/21/2006 6:21:02 AM EDT
| When doing a MI left (one of those u-turn thingies with a traffic light), there's usually a ONE-WAY sign. I have heard that you can make a left turn onto the one-way street on a steady red light since it is a one-way street. However, what about going straight when doing a u-turn and waiting at a steady red light? I have seen some drivers stop, look for cross-traffic, and drive off under a steady red light. I just browsed through the "What Every Drive Must Know" book (aka MI driver manual) and did not find a section that dealt with the Michigan lefts. |
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I've wondered about this for some time, and I've never seen anyone pulled over for crossing a road on red out of a turnaround, but I sense it is 'wrong'. It's super common for people to do, and if someone does sit in the turnaround and won't go until the green, no one lays on the horn or otherwise pressures them to do it. It seems to be really riding a line. Troy, MI seems to have signs at turnarounds sometimes that say 'proceed forward only on Green' or 'cross road when traffic is clear', depending on visibility and wether or not the specific turnaround (usually headed towards a large office building) tends to back up. I would say it's ambiguous enough that some areas create signs stating what they think is appropriate. I do have a friend who made a left turn onto the NB I-75 service drive off of Warren while leaving Wayne State to head back to the burbs on a red light, and was pulled over. The officier intended to ticket, and they calmly explained the rule (turning left onto a one-way street on red, which the service drive is), the officer said 'that was a red light', and they explained again, and after three back and forths, he was let go in frustration. -Dan |
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MI Motorvehicle Code 257.6121C ii) Vehicular traffic facing a steady red signal, after stopping before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or at a limit line when marked or, if there is no crosswalk or limit line, before entering the intersection, may make a right turn from a 1-way or 2-way street into a 2-way street or into a 1-way street carrying traffic in the direction of the right turn or may make a left turn from a 1-way or 2-way street into a 1-way roadway carrying traffic in the direction of the left turn, unless prohibited by sign, signal, marking, light, or other traffic control device. The vehicular traffic shall yield the right of way to pedestrians and bicyclists lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection. Turn ok. Straight ahead not ok. Oh yea, dont forget that first part about stopping before the crosswalk or white stop line. Local PD writes alot of those from what I hear. |