turning right on a red light?

[yb1]

Is it legal to turn right on a red light here?

Today I did so and was almost stopped by AMET, luckily they changed their mind and waved me on to target the truck behind which had an unstable load.

 

[james]

Same as in US & Canada. You come to a FULL stop behind the pedestrian lines and if the was is clear and you will not be cutting in front of oncoming vehicles you may proceed with your right turn.

 

[yb1]

Same as in US & Canada. You come to a FULL stop behind the pedestrian lines and if the was is clear and you will not be cutting in front of oncoming vehicles you may proceed with your right turn.

Ok Thanks. Must have been cos I didn't do a FULL stop, the coast was clear so I crept up slowly over the pedestrian line and then turned right. Will know better next time. cheers.

 

[mbgmike]

thats law applies only to non residents jajajajaaja you should see my wife drive.

 

[nas]

Don't assume it is legal to make a right turn on a red light. It might be true on a handful of interceptions, but not all.

Wait to hear from others who drive every day.

 

[mbgmike]

I will ask one of my daughters she is an attorney in Santiago. I know when we go to santiago we wear seatbelts but not as much here. The laws are enforced diff in each city. We get stopped more in santiago then PTO PTA. hardly anyone stops at lights here unless its blocked by cars and trucks.

 

[cobraboy]

What are these "red lights" you refer to, and exactly how are they used?

 

[mbgmike]

What are these "red lights" you refer to, and exactly how are they used?

jajajjajjaja

 

[nas]

What are these "red lights" you refer to, and exactly how are they used?

This is funny!

Exactly. People don't respect a red light; much less turning right on a red light.

However, this doesn't mean that one is not breaking the law while doing it... :chinese:

 

[Kipling333]

I doubt if AMET even knows the law ,,but I always see everyone turn right if it is safe ...and no one says anything ...I also turn left when there is the light to go left is neither red nor green but is green going straight ..no one says anything ..and when there is a flashing orange light I do as Dominicans do and simply try to bluff my way through

 

[Hlywud]

Same as in US & Canada. You come to a FULL stop behind the pedestrian lines and if the was is clear and you will not be cutting in front of oncoming vehicles you may proceed with your right turn.

-Actually, you CAN turn right on red (outside NYC) provided the following two conditions are met.

1.)There are no posted signs stating "No turn on red". If there is a sign that states "No Turn On Red, 6 AM - 4 PM, Mon - Fri", you can ONLY turn right on red either before 6 AM or after 4 PM during those days. In this example, you can turn right on red during the weekends (Saturday and Sunday). You CANNOT turn right on read between the posted times on the side.

2.) You are not in danger of slamming into (or getting slammed into by) an oncoming vehicle while turning right on red.

 

[pollogringo]

[h=2]North America[/h]Right turns on red are permitted in many regions of North America. Western states have allowed it for more than 50 years;^{[citation needed]} eastern states amended their traffic laws to allow it in the 1970s as a fuel-saving measure in response to motor fuel shortages in 1973 and 1979. All 50 states, theDistrict of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico have allowed right turns on red since 1 January 1980, except where prohibited by a sign or where right turns are controlled by dedicated traffic lights. The one exception in the United States^{[citation needed]} is within New York City, where right turns on red are prohibited unless a sign indicates otherwise.
At intersections where U-turns are permitted and controlled by an arrow from the left-most lane, motorists turning right on red onto the same road must yield to those making U-turns before turning, as the motorists making U-turns have the right of way and a collision could easily occur. At intersections where U-turns are prohibited in the same fashion, a green right arrow will sometimes appear with the red light for those turning right onto the road, allowing only traffic turning right to proceed without having to watch for pedestrians or other vehicles. Some states such as California have "No U-Turn" signs posted at these intersections because of the green right arrow.
In some states, such as New York, a right turn on red is prohibited when a red arrow is present.^[1] Most Caribbean countries with right-hand traffic, such as the Dominican Republic, allow right turn on red unless a sign prohibits it. Some vehicles, such as those carrying hazardous materials and school buses, are not allowed to turn on red under any circumstance and must wait for a green light or arrow.^{[citation needed]}
During 1982–1992, approximately 84 fatal crashes per year occurred in the U.S. where a vehicle was turning right at intersections where right turn on red was permitted.^{[citation needed]} As of 1992, right turn on red is governed federally by 42 U.S.C. ? 6322(c) ("Each proposed State energy conservation plan to be eligible for Federal assistance under this part shall include: ...(5) a traffic law or regulation which, to the maximum extent practicable consistent with safety, permits the operator of a motor vehicle to turn such vehicle right at a red stop light after stopping, and to turn such vehicle left from a one-way street onto a one-way street at a red light after stopping."). All turns on red are forbidden in New York City unless a sign is posted permitting it.^[2] This law has been protested but not overturned.^{[citation needed]}
Throughout most of Canada, a driver may turn right at a red light after coming to a complete stop unless a sign indicates otherwise. In the province of Quebec, turning right on a red was illegal until a pilot study carried out in 2003 showed that the right turn on red manoeuvre did not result in significantly more accidents. Subsequent to the study, the Province of Quebec now allows right turns on red except where prohibited by a sign. However, owing to locally specific safety concerns,^[vague] it remains illegal to turn right on a red anywhere on the Island of Montreal.^[3] Motorists are reminded of this by large signs posted at the entrance to all bridges.
In Mexico, right turns on red are generally prohibited unless a sign indicates otherwise, and motorists can be issued a citation for noncompliance.^[4] However, right turns on red are allowed inMexico City^[5]

Right turn on red - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[KateP]

I always turn on the red light if it's safe... never had any problems. As mentioned already, the Amet's probably weren't even aware of that law. This week it's seatbelts, the next week it's cel phones.

 

[pollogringo]

I've had AMET tell me to go the wrong way on a one-way street. Not the brightest bunch.

 

[dv8]

firstly, you need to know there is no such thing as dominican transit LAW. it's more like SUGGESTIONS which are promptly ignored by the population.

in theory you can turn right on red. in practice, you HAVE to do it or someone behind you will park in your arse.
personally i do not come to a full stop if i can see well that coast is clear (big intersections only), but i do drive slowly and only put the foot down when i am back on the straight. it is kinda necessary because sometimes there is not enough room and you have to join the traffic stream smoothly, that is on high speed

and about AMET: you did not have to do anything bad, they may stop you just for the offence of being white and having money

lastly, according to miesposo only some red lights are really red lights. and even those red lights that are really red are not really red all the time. dominican logic

 

[yb1]

(I'm the OP)
I just wanted to know my legal rights if AMET had of stopped me.

 

[pollogringo]

(I'm the OP)
I just wanted to know my legal rights if AMET had of stopped me.

It just doesn't matter. They're a capricious lot, you see. But, yes, come to a complete stop, check for moving vehicles and execute your turn and you're "legal".

 

[Kipling333]

legal rights in the DR ....an italian friend was stopped because she was allegedly talking on the phone while driving ,,,sje actually had no phone in the car ...she refused topay the bribe and said she would go to court. When her case came up in court , she was refused admission because her dress sleeves were too short ..and so she sat outside ,,she was told y her lawyer that she would be fined 2000 pesos and she replied that she would not pay that ..so litle by little her penalty was agreed upon 500 pesos ..that is legal rights

 

[Kipling333]

nothing is totally legal or totally illegal here ..it is all a matter of negotiation

 

[yb1]

nothing is totally legal or totally illegal here ..it is all a matter of negotiation

But knowledge that I did not commit an illegal manoeuvre will put me in a better position to negotiate