Bypass red light by R-U-R?

[intus]

Is it illegal to bypass a red light by turning right, and a u-turn (provided it's legal), and another right turn to bypass a red light?
How about using the on-rampc then instead of merging left into the freeway, I go straight ahead into the off-ramp?

[hotdogPi]

It's legal, but sssssssomeone alerted me to your personal text...

[GaryV]

Is it illegal to bypass a red light by turning right, and a u-turn (provided it's legal), and another right turn to bypass a red light?

Whether it's legal or not, it may not be that all effective. By the time you turn around and get back to the intersection, the light may likely have already changed. And you have to stop and hope to make a RTOR again.

How about using the on-rampc then instead of merging left into the freeway, I go straight ahead into the off-ramp?

Why wouldn't it be? There's several places where getting on the freeway and then immediately off is your desired behavior. For example, getting on a freeway going southbound, where the next interchange is for a separate freeway going westbound.

[epzik8]

Whether it's legal or not, it may not be that all effective.

I'd think there'd be signage prohibiting it if it were effective.

[GaryV]

^^
What kind of signage? "No right turn on red if you intend to make a u-turn"?

[michravera]

Whether it's legal or not, it may not be that all effective.

I'd think there'd be signage prohibiting it if it were effective.

In California, there is a limit as to how close to a light-controlled intersection you are allowed to make a U-turn. Usually, it's 200 ft.

Any situation where you would actually benefit from doing this legally should be classified as a "defective traffic light". You have to wait for traffic and pedestrians to clear, turn right, drive at least 200 ft or to the next intersection, wait for traffic to clear, make a U-turn, regress the same at least 200 ft, check traffic again, and turn right. That's 5-10 seconds for the right turn, 60 m of travel at least 5-15 seconds), 10 seconds of U-turn, 60 m of regression (another 5-15 seconds), and 5-10 seconds of right turn. That's like 20-50 seconds when the light should either favor you or should be turned off or flashing red. If there is any traffic, it's probably double that. There may be some dumb (non-sensor) lights where this will work, but anytime I do this, I either fail, I've had too much caffeine, or need desperately to relieve my bladder. If you really need to save 20 or 30 seconds and this method would gain it, you are probably would save more time and gain more safety by checking all ways really carefully and blowing the light.

[Max Rockatansky]

There are some lights on CA 41 south of Fresno where you can make this work.  The light at Manning Avenue comes to mind.  There are large dirt graded shoulders on both directions on Manning that make flipping a U-Turn quick and easy.

[jeffandnicole]

How about using the on-rampc then instead of merging left into the freeway, I go straight ahead into the off-ramp?

You mean, like using a cloverleaf interchange to make a u-turn?  Staying in the lane you entered from is the lawful way of doing this.

[Rothman]

I'd think there are lights in northern Ohio where you could get through faster with this maneuver.  Seems every light I've hit from Cleveland east to Mentor seem to take forever.

[michravera]

There are some lights on CA 41 south of Fresno where you can make this work.  The light at Manning Avenue comes to mind.  There are large dirt graded shoulders on both directions on Manning that make flipping a U-Turn quick and easy.

I lose track of CASR-41's nominal direction. All of the times that I've driven it have been from I-5 toward the coast. Is Manning Ave "toward Yosemite" or "toward I-5"?

[Max Rockatansky]

There are some lights on CA 41 south of Fresno where you can make this work.  The light at Manning Avenue comes to mind.  There are large dirt graded shoulders on both directions on Manning that make flipping a U-Turn quick and easy.

I lose track of CASR-41's nominal direction. All of the times that I've driven it have been from I-5 toward the coast. Is Manning Ave "toward Yosemite" or "toward I-5"?

A couple miles south of 99 and Fresno.  Adams two miles of the north is part of the CA 41 Business Loop through Easton.

So basically heading towards I-5.

[ilpt4u]

I know one intersection in Carbondale IL along IL 13 that I do it if I am in the right lane and would otherwise catch the red. The intersecting road, Old IL 13, has an uncontrolled right turn onto IL 13/Main St which becomes the 3rd mainline lane

This maneuver works great there if light traffic on the cross street

[mrsman]

Whether it's legal or not, it may not be that all effective.

I'd think there'd be signage prohibiting it if it were effective.

In California, there is a limit as to how close to a light-controlled intersection you are allowed to make a U-turn. Usually, it's 200 ft.

Any situation where you would actually benefit from doing this legally should be classified as a "defective traffic light". You have to wait for traffic and pedestrians to clear, turn right, drive at least 200 ft or to the next intersection, wait for traffic to clear, make a U-turn, regress the same at least 200 ft, check traffic again, and turn right. That's 5-10 seconds for the right turn, 60 m of travel at least 5-15 seconds), 10 seconds of U-turn, 60 m of regression (another 5-15 seconds), and 5-10 seconds of right turn. That's like 20-50 seconds when the light should either favor you or should be turned off or flashing red. If there is any traffic, it's probably double that. There may be some dumb (non-sensor) lights where this will work, but anytime I do this, I either fail, I've had too much caffeine, or need desperately to relieve my bladder. If you really need to save 20 or 30 seconds and this method would gain it, you are probably would save more time and gain more safety by checking all ways really carefully and blowing the light.

I am glad that in my area they made a fix to the traffic signal timing to address this very situation.

A signal between a side road and a main road.  But the main road is really only a collector, and not very busy in early morning hours (like 6 am).  A significant amount of traffic from the side road at that hour wants to go straight (more than the traffic on the main road).  Bad signal timing meant that I made the R-U-R maneuver several times.  It is not exactly legal.  (I don't believe the mid-block U is legal.)

Fortunately, it seems that the local DOT has made the signal more responsive at less busy times, like early morning.  Now the light changes within seconds of arriving at the intersection during the 6 am hour.  Bliss.

[PColumbus73]

I wouldn't be surprised if a cop pulled someone over for dodging the light as mentioned, or for cutting through parking lots to make a right turn.

I don't know what that ticket would be called though. Unlawful maneuver, maybe?

[michiganguy123]

Should be legal, in Michigan there are many roads where you have to turn right to go straight.

[jeffandnicole]

I wouldn't be surprised if a cop pulled someone over for dodging the light as mentioned, or for cutting through parking lots to make a right turn.

I don't know what that ticket would be called though. Unlawful maneuver, maybe?

Cutting thru a parking lot to avoid a traffic light or stop sign is a violation, at least in NJ:

39:4-66.2. Avoidance of traffic control signal, sign; violations, penalties

1. Except for emergency vehicles and motor vehicles being operated at the direction of a law enforcement officer, no person shall drive a motor vehicle on public property, except public roads or highways, or private property, with or without the permission of the owner, for the purpose of avoiding a traffic control signal or sign.

And that statute conveniently makes it known that making a legal right turn, a legal u-turn, and a legal right turn *is* a legal maneuver.

[1995hoo]

I've seen people do exactly what the OP describes at two lights near my neighborhood: Heading southbound, if the light has just turned red, they'll go right on red, make a U-turn at the next intersection (which in either case has no light and no restriction on U-turns), then go right on red again back to the original street. I don't know whether it saves any time between possibly having to wait to go right on red and possibly having to wait again to make the U-turn, although I understand why to some people if you're moving it feels like you're making more progress than if you're standing still.

Edited to add: Semi-related to this, I've seen situations where people who want to make a left turn at a busy intersection with no left turn signal will turn right and then cut an illegal U-turn to go back through the intersection on the other street on a green.

[GaryV]

they'll go right on red, make a U-turn at the next intersection (which in either case has no light and no restriction on U-turns), then go right on red again back to the original street

Since they are doing RTOR a second time after the U-turn, the light had changed and they haven't saved any time. They could have just waited for the green. Thus my original comment that it probably wasn't that effective. The only time I might see it be worthwhile is if the were trying to go straight on a side street with a very long red time.

[1995hoo]

they'll go right on red, make a U-turn at the next intersection (which in either case has no light and no restriction on U-turns), then go right on red again back to the original street

Since they are doing RTOR a second time after the U-turn, the light had changed and they haven't saved any time. They could have just waited for the green. Thus my original comment that it probably wasn't that effective. The only time I might see it be worthwhile is if the were trying to go straight on a side street with a very long red time.

Oh, duh, wait. That's my fault for not thinking. I'm not actually sure they're making a right on red the second time. I said that, but I wasn't really thinking (my mind was on autopilot). They may well be going right again on green. I've never really paid that much attention to be able to see how long it takes them to make this maneuver. Certainly I think the light's duration makes a very big difference such that this sort of thing would only make sense when both streets are major arterials such that both will have relatively long red lights. If the cross street onto which you'd turn to make the U-turn is a comparatively lesser street that will have a much shorter green cycle, then as you note this is almost certainly counterproductive.

[Henry]

Although technically it's not illegal, maybe a better word for it would be "discouraged".

[PColumbus73]

Although technically it's not illegal, maybe a better word for it would be "discouraged".

I was thinking the same, if not illegal a social taboo, like cutting in line.