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Sure, and it has nothing to do with the big ass vehicles being churned out due to loopholes in US law.
https://www.distilled.earth/p/the-loophole-that-made-cars-in-america
this post was submitted on 05 Nov 2023
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Just freaken yesterday I was walking with my kids and there was a sports utility bullshit parked ready to come out of the garage and as we passed I noted that not one of my kids is tall enough to be seen by the driver if they decide to move forward.
A sports utility truck is a truck not a car. Require a CDL to operate or better yet just buy a regular car.
"What's really behind this movement is part of the agenda to make driving as miserable and as difficult as possible so people don't drive so much," Beeber said.
This is an unbelievably idiotic statement, as if cars haven't been, and don't continue to be nearly the sole consideration for transportation in almost all American cities.
I'm totally down for this. Right turn on red is optional, but people behind me seem to think it's required and lay on their horns if I stop for more than a second. Like come on, I need a moment to make sure someone isn't trying to cross!
"What's really behind this movement is part of the agenda to make driving as miserable and as difficult as possible so people don't drive so much," Beeber said.
Shit. He figured my plan out.
But seriously people driving less would be a win. Cars are awful.
As someone who went to the US recently and nearly got taken out by a driver rolling right through the crosswalk only looking to her left, get rid of right turn on red. We survive just fine without it (well, it would technically be a left turn here) in Japan.
In the Netherlands it wouldn't even work as yhere are usually cycle paths or pedestrian crossings that have a green light. Right turns have their own light whenever possible to make sure they are on their own cycle.
It's the size of the cars that's causing the increase.
Wow, you are totally right.
SUVs and pickup trucks do not have to follow the safety regulations of passenger cars.
Passenger cars have rounded pedestrian safe bumpers that are designed to scoop under a pedestrian in a collision, resulting in injuries that are likely to be survivable.
Modern pickup trucks have massive flat grills directly at chest height, which act as a battering ram, and will roll over a pedestrian in a collision, resulting in injuries that are unlikely to be survivable. Pickup trucks and SUVs have large front blind spots that make them more likely to cause collisions than normal cars.
The increasing numbers of pedestrian fatalities is caused by the increasing number and size of pickup trucks and SUVs. This will only change if the feds close the loopholes that allow SUVs to not follow the same regulations as cars.
I think it's a visibility thing too. Also many distracted drivers.
I mean, it's pretty easy to not hit someone while turning right on red if you look where you're going...
In a lot of cities, it's extremely difficult to see past the corner because of parked cars. We could cut down on street parking, but people scream if you even consider restricting their parking options.
Especially when those parked vehicles are trucks or SUVs or some other unsafe large vehicle.
I mean I have a hate boner for giant cars as much the average person, but even a reasonably-sized, economy sedan can block my view of the sidewalk/any cars that might be coming around the corner. I would say it's a 50% chance in my city that, in order to safely turn right on red, I'd need to inch about halfway into the lane I'm turning into, which already has the potential of causing an accident.
When I visited the US I was shocked that’s actually allowed. Seemed like a very easy way to kill someone
It's the "cars above all" mentality.
That said my city is doing this for bicycles which is way more reasonable.
I couldn't work out how you were supposed to negotiate it as a pedestrian, and assumed there must be some knack that locals learn. Guess the knack is just, don't be a pedestrian lol.
The spike, which included all accidents — not just those involving right turns on red, was attributed in part to an increase in larger vehicles such as SUVs and pickup trucks on the road ... due to larger blind spots and the deadlier force associated with heavier models.
There it is, this is just one reason why 'no right turns' will be a useless half measure, politicians trying to make it look like they're doing something about the problem because the real solution would be too politically risky.
My own anecdotal evidence, walking several blocks and crossing a busy intersection everyday.
I take attempts to not get hit by looking at the driver and checking to see if they are paying attention. Often a driver will inch forward until they can time turning between cars coming from the opposite side of the intersection or will turn immediately when the light changes. I often have people who wait, but mostly people will just drive past me while I stand waiting to cross.
Car size doesn't seem to make any difference in how aware the driver is or if they are following driver safety, at least when I'm attempting to keep myself from being hit.
It less serious than this but on my drive home there is this spot with 4 car lengths between stop lights and people with trailers keep taking it as free right to get into the middle of 3 northbound lanes blocking off the far right lane for turning right at the next light
I live in one of these cities (Denver) and in my city’s case this push is part of a ton of other provisions including a push to set a maximum speed limit citywide of 25 mph.
About 80% of my trips out of the house are walking or on a bike, but it seems clear to me that policies like this don’t improve safety. It’s just lazy policy making. For example, if you set a 25 mph speed limit on a road designed to support 45 mph traffic, most drivers will still drive 45+ mph and you instead get a wild mismatch of driving speeds. This just slows traffic with an arguably negative benefit to safety. Similarly, if you ban turn on red in the city many drivers will still turn on red, but now whether or not a car will turn on red becomes unpredictable.
What our cities need is more dedicated bike and pedestrian infrastructure that is separated altogether from the roads, as well as greatly improved public transit.
If there isn't other cross traffic, I'm going no matter what. In MA, we can even take a left on red onto a one way.
Huge majority of lighted intesections could be replaced with roundabouts/rotaries/traffic circles. Cars should not have to sit at idle if nothing is in the way.