In Bismarck-It’s Time To STOP Complaining About These Signs

Hey listen, we are all in a somewhat hurry to get where we are going...

...which is WHY people here in Bismarck frequently fail to obey these traffic signs. Four simple words that cause steam to come out of the driver's ears - "NO TURN ON RED"- I can understand their frustration, I've been in the same. I've been in a hurry to get somewhere, I come up to the stoplight over at S.Washigton and Bismarck Expressway, I look to my left and there is plenty of room for me to safely turn right - but the sign says "NO TURN ON RED" - so I don't. Why do I feel like someone behind me is extra impatient? Probably because they are honking at me.

The whole point of the four simple words on signs is pure safety

Busy intersections like the one I mentioned in my last paragraph are dangerous if people just blow off the sign. There you are thinking traffic is clear, yes you come to a full stop, but your head is looking to your left, and if you turn right on a red you could hit a pedestrian or someone on a bike.

Here is the thing, there are some places where it's legal to turn right - the good news is that several cities around the country are aiming to ban these. According to fastcompany.com "... U.S. cities are starting to recognize these downsides, which are particularly troubling at a time when pedestrian and cyclist deaths have hit their highest levels in 40 years. Several local governments have recently adopted no-turn-on-red policies, and others are considering doing the same"

I'm not trying to be MR. Goody Two Shoes here, I just think a couple of extra seconds of sitting in your car, at a stop light is a much better alternative than getting a traffic ticket or even getting into an accident.