Today's post involves the infamous No Turn on Red sign. You could say that this topic "grinds my gears," if you were a devout fan of Family Guy. Now, I don't know if this law applies where you, dear reader, reside; I can only hope that it does not. Where I live, it has been on the books for many years. Here's a bit of history, for those either unfamiliar with this law, or really, seriously bored:
When the law was introduced, drivers were informed that right-hand turns would be permitted during a red light, as long as one came to a complete stop at the intersection, and confirmed that it was safe to proceed. Sounds logical enough. How often do you reach an intersection and find that there is no traffic approaching perpendicular to your vehicle from the left? Quite often, I would wager. This new law was a refreshing bit of legislation! No longer would we have to helplessly and needlessly wait at an intersection for the light to allow us to continue; we could get on with our lives and use our common sense to decide whether or not it was safe to make a turn while the light was red. Fuel and time would be saved, and drivers could take pride in knowing that the powers that be trusted them with the act of simple thought followed by simple action.
Therein lies part of the problem. As Voltaire put it, "Le sens commun n'est pas si commun." Or, "Common sense is not so common." Apparently, some of us - maybe those same ones who drive with their knees while holding the Blackberry in one hand and the Egg McMuffin in the other (you know who you are) - were not making stellar decisions about the level of safety in their impending turns. I say this with just a hint of sarcasm, because I feel that there may be a darker, more diabolical reason for the sudden attachment of the No Turn on Red signs to poles on a staggering and illogical number of intersections. Do you wonder what the overall cost might be for manufacturing and installing what must be millions of those signs? Do you wonder who reaps the profit? Do you wonder whose palms got the grease?
I could delve more deeply into this issue, but I'll just let you gnaw on it. Something to consider: it would likely have been cheaper for the law to say that you CAN'T turn on red (just like before), unless there's a sign saying that you CAN. However, that would have reduced the profit somebody is making on all of those lovely signs and their installation. If you live in an area with these signs, start paying attention to how many intersections they occupy. Here's the kicker - the thing that really irritates me: take note of how many of those intersections have perfectly clear lines of sight in all directions, making it absolutely simple to see whether or not a turn is going to be safe. Then, ask yourself whether you're too stupid to decide on whether to turn or not. If you feel that you might not be intelligent enough to make that call, then please, please, please hand in your voter registration card and driver's license immediately, take public transportation, and consider wearing a helmet when you watch television.
