I just received a citation for making a right turn at a red light 0.3 seconds after the light turned red. I had already been preparing my arguments for why my actions produced the safest possible outcome, but these materials should prove exceptionally useful in our case.
Driving 30MPH. The light turned yellow when we were 100 feet from the intersection. If you are traveling straight through the intersection, you can be up to 154 feet away when the light turns yellow and make the light before it turns red.
As we decelerated to make the turn, I realized we might not make the light and had to decide whether to take the turn at an aggressive speed or heavily brake to a stop. Suddenly stopping would pose a significant risk to the passengers in my vehicle and in the vehicle behind me. I observed that the intersection was clear and committed to the turn.
This is the exact 'dilemma zone' described by Mats. If you are still having a hard time picturing it, there are plenty of diagrams in the ITE journal article that explains his calculations.
I just received a citation for making a right turn at a red light 0.3 seconds after the light turned red. I had already been preparing my arguments for why my actions produced the safest possible outcome, but these materials should prove exceptionally useful in our case.