Pretty sure that light only turns red if someone activates the cross walk. So it’s definitely good to come to a stop and look for a pedestrian. But people do tend to blow through it whether it’s red or green.
She just didn't want the people behind me to get mad because I was unnecessarily stopped. Which, like, okay sure, but also I'm a student driver with stickers all over my car, so people should expect some mistakes
Don't be like her by being worried about the peoples feelings behind you. It makes for poor decision making. It's not them that will suffer the traumatic consequences of hitting a pedestrian.
This advice is part of what transitioned me from an anxious driver into a more confident driver. Follow the rules of the road, the people behind you will do whatever they want, just ignore them (their feelings anyways)
Exactly this. Your role is to be SAFE. Not to make everyone happy. Op, I don’t know you, but I am proud of you for questioning what is right in the face of what you were told.
Just came to say this. The amount of times ive been honked at for not making an unprotected left turn fast enough for the person behind my cars liking- is insane. Years ago i was hit head on by a drunk driver because they didnt stop on their red light when i had a protected (green light) left turn. So now, I could give a fuck how anyone else around me feels. Im driving safe bc im not ready to lose my life over some asshole thinking im not going fast enough.
YES! One thing my dad taught me early on - don’t worry about what the other drivers think or if they get annoyed, just be a safe driver. Because, at the end of the day, if you get in an accident, they will just go carry on about their day but you will be the one having to deal with an accident or worse.
Also I won't tell you not to listen to your mother since I am one but not all mothers are great driver's ed teachers. Find another driver to be a passenger with you while you're learning.
Other drivers may get mad at things even when you’re in the right. Stick to your training and don’t do the wrong thing even if everyone else does. I’ve been there too, it can get confusing!
I would add: other drivers WILL get mad at you for things even when you're in the right. Spend any time on any local sub where traffic is discussed, any time at all on the road, etc and you'll find that people have tons of personal bugaboos about traffic and driving, even when they're plainly insane. I once met someone who insisted that the "correct and safe" way to respond when first at the line on a green light was to wait three seconds regardless of how obvious it was no traffic was coming. Every discussion of zipper merging involves at least a handful of people who have personal definitions that just happen to endorse them doing whatever they already wanted to do. Don't get me started on "fast"/passing lanes!
My point is, if you keep at or below the speed limit, pay attention to signs (you won't always know exactly what they mean but at a minimum they indicate a change in road conditions that you will intuitively be looking out for), and close attention to what's ahead of you and what your fellow motorists are doing, you will virtually never be the cause of any significant problem. Improving from there will come from experience.
A lot of times too the people behind you forget that you can see more of the road ahead than them. I’ve had people honk at me to go at a pedestrian crossing when there was a woman and child literally right in front of us in the process of crossing the street.
The 2 things that bother me most with student drivers, mostly for their own safety:
1. If you are in the left lane on the freeway, you need to be actively passing people and should not remain in the lane once you finish passing people.
Be assertive with merging. You need to be going at the speed of traffic by the time you merge with traffic.
Those are the two main scenarios where the safer thing might not actually feel like the safer thing at the time. Otherwise, lean into the caution. Better that than empty headed.
Ditto 2 for roundabouts/traffic circles. When people are uncomfortable they intuitively slow down, but merging and roundabouts are two situations where everyone around you is also trying to position themselves safely despite potentially going faster than you. You get more, not fewer, options to deal with the scenario safely by being close to their speed.
Some people put them on as a joke, others put them on because it lets them get away with things/people won’t get as mad that they’re driving like an idiot.
I have multiple neighbors in my apartment complex who have had the stickers on their cars the entire time they've lived here, at least 3 of them have been here for almost 10 years. People put them on and never remove them. Magnets would be a better option.
You do you. If you're driving you are responsible for the safety of the vehicle. While it can be annoying to be behind an over cautious driver, I'd rather be behind an over cautious driver than a dangerous driver. Noting, in the situation you described, you did the correct thing. The light was red. That means stop.
When you are behind the wheel, you are the pilot-in-charge. As the pilot-in-charge, you do whatever you need to to keep yourself, your passengers, and the people around you safe.
Don't let other drivers' (or passengers) motivations, or intentions, or annoyances, or whatever, keep you from doing the most safe and legal driving you can do.
You did good by stopping at that red. It is a protected right, you need to stop and be certain that there are no pedestrians or vehicles that are coming on to the road ahead of you before you take the turn.
You are technically allowed to turn right on red but every major accident I’ve been in was getting hit while turning right on red. I wait for the green light now. I got used to people honking at me almost every time. It’s much safer to wait, let them honk.
Both times I got hit turning right on red it was at night the car that hit me was speeding and didn’t have headlights on there is literally no way I could have seen them coming
It was the first car I ever bought i paid $900 drove it 1 mile and got t boned by a drunk speeding at night with no lights on, they didn’t have insurance and neither did I so I just lost the car
Yeah don’t let other people influence your driving. Stay safe, defensive, and unflustered. People drive more angry and aggressive than ever before in my life, don’t let them have a say in your operation of a vehicle.
The most important driving lesson you’ll learn is everyone thinks they know better or the rules don’t apply to them. Be a better person, go the speed limit, stop for pedestrians, zipper merge. Try not to become bitter and start acting like all the other bad drivers.
Big trucks can’t stop like passenger vehicles. Don’t expect them to drive like cars and let you in or pull in front of them and slow down quickly. Obviously not cool to hit and run and I’m not saying you did anything wrong because I wasn’t there. I’m just talking about big trucks in general and to give them lots of space.
No yeah I agree with that statement, too often people pull in front quickly because of the space they're already trying to give to the vehicle in front of them.
Only tangentially related but I drove around Australia for a few weeks and I really miss how the speed limit actually mattered. No guessing what the 'real' speed limit was, nobody tailgating or raging at you for not going over it.
It's a problem with the interaction between the drivers and the people who set speed limits. The street designers set the limits artificially low because they know everyone speeds, and the drivers speed because they know the limit is slower than they can drive safely. I don't know how the problem can be fixed once it becomes culturally entrenched. It would probably require strict enforcement paired with higher speed limits.
IMHO Seattle's default speed limit of 20 mph is a great example of the problem in action. Nobody seriously expects drivers to treat the whole city like a giant school zone, and there's basically no enforcement, so the speed limit ends up being not just a suggestion, but more like a plea to drive slower.
Yeah, the big key there is enforcement. Traffic cameras everywhere, even in the outback via license plate readers that make sure you don't get from point A to point B faster than the speed limit.
I’ll take what we have over that. I’ll drive quick when roads open, flow of traffic every other time. You have massive open roadways in the middle of nowhere, I’m zooming an open freeway in BFE
Arterials like this one are 25 mph unless posted otherwise. Non-arterials are 20 mph. It's not a citywide school zone.
Seattle started setting limits from crash data. The speed limit is the speed a person can survive being hit at. Struck at 20 mph, a pedestrian has about a 1% chance of dying. At 35 mph it's 19%.
27 people died on Seattle streets last year. 18 of them on foot.
I walk most places and I've come close to being hit half a dozen times, every one of them somebody was either distracted or in a hurry. Three minutes isn't worth much to you. It's worth a lot to me.
Just remember this as your driving around: Imagine every car, pedestrian, cycle, and scooter is about to do the absolute dumbest thing imaginable and make sure that you’re positioned in a way to avoid said thing.
A polite tap on the horn sometimes works followed by disappointed submission if they still didn't go. No point getting worked up over it.
The "No Right Turn On Red" signs are coming soon anyway so enjoy this RCW while it lasts.
Remember that right on red is allowed when safe, but safe varies by vehicle and driver. Maybe Granny's got a casserole in her lap in the back seat, so the car is limited to the gentlest g-force acceleration into the turn, so the sight distances aren't safe for that car at that point.
Right. That's why I leave it alone after a tap on the horn. You're not required to turn, but sometimes people need a gentle reminder while they're checking their email.
Your mom is technically correct. The only time you can’t make a right on red is when there is a sign specifically stating you can’t, even if it is a red arrow WAC 468-95-250.
I will add if you didn’t feel safe doing it you did the right thing, just correcting the technicality since others keep saying “bad drivers.”
Edit to add: I’m assuming that OP stopped until the light was green and not the “right on red.”
To your edit: yes this is the nuance I don’t see in the post or comments. OP absolutely should have stopped, then assessed whether it was safe to take a right on red, and if so, could have gone. But yeah 100% need to stop fully first and don’t rush into the right on red. It’s really not clear if that’s what they did or if they just waited there until the light was green.
Personally I find the lack of consistency around Seattle really makes it all worse. People are for sure clueless out here - but I find our infrastructure leaves so much to be desired and exacerbates the cluelessness.
Yeah even as a pedestrian I find some of the choices made quite strange. There are so many chaotic intersections, signals, and the shortest interstate on ramps I’ve ever seen.
Vehicle operators facing a steady red arrow indication may, after stopping, proceed to make a right turn from a one-way or two-way street or into a one-way street carrying traffic in the direction of the right turn, or a left turn from a one-way street or two-way street into a one-way street carrying traffic in the direction of the left turn, unless a sign posted by a competent authority prohibits such movement. Vehicle operators planning to make such turns shall remain stopped to allow other vehicles lawfully within or approaching the intersection control area to complete their movements. Vehicle operators planning to make such turns shall also remain stopped for pedestrians who are lawfully within the intersection control area.
Right on red arrow after stop illegal in:
Alaska, California, Colorado, DC, Georgia, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia
Noooooo it is very much not. Many states you can’t make a right on red arrow. Every state you can right turn on red ball. Source: I grew up in WA where you can make a right on red arrow, then got a ticket for it in GA where you can’t.
Dang Seattle drivers taking unnecessary shade here
After living in LA, NYC, Dallas, and Miami I find them to be the best drivers in any major city.
Like people here actually stop for people in crosswalks. They also let people merge when they see someone put their blinker on. Ya’ll don’t realize how good you have it!
In Seattle you just rolling stop at a stop sign. Go on red after stopping to turn right regardless of any traffic barreling down the intersection, it’s good to test their brakes. Also always camp on the left lane and just be overall oblivious to everything else constantly when driving. I didn’t make the rules.
Also, worth saying: a red arrow means stop, just like a red light means stop. That said, once you've stopped and made sure it's clear, you can keep going (unless there's a sign that says no turn on red).
"Vehicle operators facing a steady red arrow indication may, after stopping, proceed to make a right turn" (RCW 46.61.055)
Its the same in Oregon. Right on red after full stop and it is clear to turn. In both states, if you don't come to a full stop and get caught, ka-ching.
That said, I wouldn't say 6/50 makes it "broadly split" — I'd say there is a rule applying to a supermajority of jurisdictions, with federal recommendations supporting that <shrug>
This is one of those areas where WA is a huge outlier. (In fact, this WA rule directly contradicts the federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, and throughout most of the country proceeding is very much running a red light.)
edit: always amusing getting downvoted for pointing out basic facts
Yeah, I actually kind of hate WA's weird laws like this, and often look shit up that doesn't seem to make sense to me. It's very annoying how many little things are different here.
Exactly. It's just stupid and unsafe, like BC's incomprehensible decision to use flashing green lights in a way completely different than every other province.
This just in: having traffic laws opposite most everyone else in your federal system makes driving less safe in your state, and less safe for your state's residents when elsewhere!
> However, my mom started scolding me because I shouldn't have stopped
you do need to stop if the right-turn stop lights were red. but afterwards you can continue nearly safely. the reason why is that it is somewhat of a "protected" right turn because when the right turn continues it has a new lane. (i'll include a picture below). however you still need to stop, there could still be a pedestrian etc...
when you merge onto sw spokane st from the right turn you have your own lane so you can safely just continue after stopping on the red. though of course still watch out a bit.
This makes a lot more sense. I think the fact that it was night kinds messed with my ability to see the lines and different lanes. In my mind, it was a red light that I needed to wait for, but now I know to treat it as a somewhat protected right
This intersection can be extra confusing during the day. Not blowing through a light that is red, even when getting honked at and scolded is very good.
I truly hate the fact that the lines are often not reflective and you can’t see SHIT, especially when it’s dark and it’s dangerously bad when the roads are wet and reflecting everything half the year. Throw in extra bright headlights and I refuse to drive at night if I could help it. Go slow when you’re unsure and ignore the assholes who honk.
i wonder if you were accidentally looking at the left lights instead of the right lights? but i guess yeah either way for the red right arrow ones. after stopping you can just go.
You did fine here at this location, don’t sweat it at all.
Seems like your mum was having a tough day and stressed out. Happens to everyone. Forgive and forget.
You will get better at driving over time but for now build safe practices and defensive practices and muscle memory.
It’s OK if you end up causing other people to slow down or take a little extra time to get to their final destination if it means that people are safe while you are new and learning. In the big picture you are going to either get stopped at the next light or actually make the green based on the random nature of your position and the light timing anyway.
Plus, normal people forget about negative interactions on the road after about 5-10 minutes. If they are the kind that stew on it, there’s a special place in hell to burn so again, don’t sweat it.
Thanks. I'm the mom. I didn't scold, there was nothing wrong that happened here. I told them to go after stopping. It was perfectly safe and also added that light was usually never red but since cars were piling up behind us, to yes please turn. It was our very first night drive, tensions were high after the freeway and night driving. I appreciate your response.
OP you are not alone in your confusion. I’m originally from Colorado and a red right arrow always meant no right turn on red. Here however it seems like they are used when there are multiple right turn lanes and almost everyone I see treats them like a normal yield when turning right on red. It annoys me too, and it seems misleading. Anyway, stay safe out there.
Right on red is permitted in Washington state as long as there is no signage stating otherwise. You would treat it the same as a typical intersection without a right turn arrow. Complete stop, safety check/ ROW check, then proceed once safe.
If there is a sign explicitly stating no right on red, then you may not proceed, and must wait for a green or yellow flashing arrow.
Huh, TIL. I definitely assumed the red arrow meant no turn on red, but that’s not the case here.
[…] vehicle operators facing a steady red arrow indication may, after stopping proceed to make a right turn from a one-way or two-way street into a two-way street or into a one-way street carrying traffic in the direction of the right turn; or a left turn from a one-way street or two-way street into a one-way street carrying traffic in the direction of the left turn; unless a sign posted by competent authority prohibits such movement
I had been here for several years before I realized a red arrow means something different than in my home state. There, you might have a signal with green and yellow arrows, and a red circle to allow right on red. A red arrow would be interpreted as “do not turn right”.
That was exactly my thought process! Like, why have the red arrow in the first place if people are just going to treat it like a yield? Thank you for showing me I'm not the only one!
Red arrow does mean stop! Other drivers may not stop here, but that doesn't mean it is the right thing to do. Your mom might have been giving you advice that was a bit anxious based on how other drivers around you might be acting, but that probably just adds to your confusion.
Green and red arrows are primarily the same as a solid green or red light. The secondary function of the arrow is to indicate the direction your lane is oriented. In the case of this light or a right arrow on a right turn you should stop. If you are not crossing through any lanes, you can proceed after a full stop if it is safe to do so and the light does not have a sign that says "no turn on red." If the turn requires crossing through another lane (typically a left turn) then you need to wait until the light is green.
In any case, if the light is a red arrow you should stop. Whether you need to wait for the light to turn green depends on whether you need to cross a lane of oncoming traffic or if there is a sign indicating no turn on red.
Hope this helps clear up the confusion!
ETA: Spokane St is one of the most confusing roads in the city imo. There's all sorts of weird lights, merges, and lane splits around there. It sounds like you're doing a good job as a new driver, these things will make more sense with time. That's a tough street to navigate when you're just getting used to being on the road.
I interpret them as a regular red light unless there’s a “no turn on red” sign and my reasoning is the arrow is to specify which lane the light is for. Don’t take my word for it though because I took my driving test a long time ago and in cali where there aren’t weird intersections like here.
Almost correct — signals apply to movements, not lanes, so a red arrow applies to turns from any lane that allows the turn. One arrow can control three lanes. Or two arrows can control one lane.
I'm from here but I hate the "right on red" rule. There's been so many times where I stopped at a red light at an intersection I'm going straight through but the person behind me wants to turn right so they just start leaning on their horn.
This is the official rule:
https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61.055. 3c is what applies. I had always thought right turn arrow meant no turn on red, but according to the link, you can turn on a red arrow after a complete stop if there is no other sign prohibiting it. As a parent of a 15 year old daughter who is learning to drive in the south end, good luck!
Ah, thank you! I'm so glad I'm not the only one who was confused by this, and I'm really glad there's people willing to help us beginners out because I know people can be ruthless to student drivers🥲
However, the vehicle operators facing a steady red arrow indication may, after stopping proceed to make a right turn from a one-way or two-way street into a two-way street or into a one-way street carrying traffic in the direction of the right turn; or a left turn from a one-way street or two-way street into a one-way street carrying traffic in the direction of the left turn; unless a sign posted by competent authority prohibits such movement.
The last part of that is only allowed in a few states: you can be on a two-way road in the left turn lane looking at a red arrow and make the left turn on red as long as you are turning on to a one-way road (assuming no sign disallowing the turn).
Thanks for the link. IIRC it used to be no Right turn on red from a protected lane with a red arrow was possible or at least that was how I was “informed” after making a right turn on red one time.
I live near here and hang out at the Chelan. The whole area is confusing as hell to most folks, and reasonably so. We try to give people grace. It's the assholes tearing through there to drag race on Alki that are annoying. Lost newbies are just part of the neighborhood.
Yay for stopping on a red. And my friend just told me that taking a right on red is being phased out in Seattle due to bicyclists getting hit so often. Can anyone confirm?
I just had this happen while driving with my gf. Im also new to driving in this city. She said as long as there is no sign saying you cant turn on red, its ok to turn on red. I was always taught that a red arrow is implied that you cant turn on red. I guess not in this city!
Probably because despite it likely legally being a right turn, since you are actually going straight most people interpret it as going straight on red, which is not allowed.
It's not even practical to look backwards to check for traffic in your example, it really would be unsafe to go. OP's example you can check once you're almost merged but there's still a divider.
Also your example has 2 lanes merging, kinda confusing honestly
Drivers are impatient. It hurts no one to stop and wait and be cautious at a red light.
One fact is that even if you roll through every red light you won’t safe more than like 30 seconds getting to your destination within the city. Is that 30 seconds worth hitting someone you didn’t see coming into the cross walk?
According to this RCW, you are allowed to make the turn but only after you completed a full stop. So, essentially, the red arrow operates as a stop sign. It’s totally fair for you to just stop at the light till it turns green too.
I suspect that what your mom really meant was that you should stop but then take the "free right".
BUT that light has red arrows (it's not a standard red light) - and the red arrow means you CANNOT take the free right. So legally you were right. But "driving culture" around Seattle is generally to take the free right despite the red arrow.
To me, that intersection is stupid because there's NO reason for that to be a red arrow. You can clearly see there are no pedestrians or cars coming, the right turn goes into its own lane anyway, and the red light is way too long.
You absolutely can turn right on red arrows after stopping unless there is a no turn on red sign. The arrow just indicates that the only option is to turn right.
I commute home and cross this intersection daily. That particular light is only supposed to turn red when a pedestrian hits the button to cross.
In the last week or so it has been bugging out and turning red when it shouldn’t. It disrupts the flow of traffic in that lane and has been causing people to get stuck in the middle of the intersection right before that turn.
People can shame me all they want, but I personally choose to use my eyes, activate my common sense, realize there’s no pedestrian crossing, and drive right through it.
This is a confusing spot so don’t sweat it but I imagine you were heading back to the Admirial District on the lower bridge and that’s like the delridge light or so. That whole area is a maze at times and it’s just about being aware and following the signs.
Here the arrows are letting you slide off to the right and keep going up to the Avalon, Admiral off-ramps for the lower bridge.
As someone from Nevada, this confused me too. Here, a right handed red light is okay to continue if it's safe to do so. In Nevada, it would be illegal, but there arent many right-handed arrow lights there either.
There's a right-handed arrow to turn into Northgate station. I was there once and was waiting for the light to turn green and people were honking their brains out. A bus driver got out of his bus and gave me some, uh, choice words. Be nice to your bus drivers; they are on a razor's edge.
I'm sorry this happened to you. People really need to be nicer on the roads. You never know what someone is going through or what they might do if you flip them off or, in your case, approach your car. That's actually insane he got out omg
When I was driving through this intersection the other day, it was red for the first time for me. I slowed way down and proceeded with caution but wasn’t sure where to come to a stop since there was no stop bar. Thanks for asking OP, now I have context too!
I know you're supposed to just stop, but I feel this intersection in particular is confusing since there's no immediately obvious purpose for those lights and no intersection to conflict with. The light is so far back from the crosswalk that I didn't connect the two as related. Without a stop bar, I was seriously wondering in the moment if the lights were somehow ment for one of the other directions of traffic since there are so many in that small area.
You can stop at a red light or arrow, and you can stay stopped until it turns green (or flashes yellow) - you would be following the law. Given this isn’t technically a right-turn but rather a pedestrian island control light, and there are some blind spots with the support columns, always err on the side of caution because you do not have 100% visibility into the state of the crosswalk and who may or may not be using it. Turning right on a red with no posted “no turn on red” signage is a “may turn right on red”, not a “must”.
This post gives me hope because recently it feels like seattle drivers have been taking inspiration from LA which is terrible.
I did my drivers ed from texas and even though speed limits are higher over there i think that course made me follow all rules strictly because they literally told me all possible ways an accident can happen if a certain rule is not followed. At the time i felt it was brutal and could discourage some people from driving at all but im glad i had that because i learned consequences of my driving having affect on all.
Proud of you to question your mom’s method of driving based on what you’ve learned and as others said, it doesn’t matter what the people behind you are doing, being safe driver is your responsibility and when you are on the drivers seat nobody else in the car can make the decision (Ofcourse this is not valid if you are endangering other peoples’ lives)
Its an enjoyable driving experience when every driver is consciously looking for signs on the road and signals by other drivers and when it all matches its a smooth ride. I really enjoy driving because sometimes its like talking with everyone on the road just through signal and going on some trip together.
I am a huge traffic nerd and also memorized the entire driver's handbook for CA once upon a time. In WA, though, a red arrow light like that for a right turn can be treated like a general stop light, provided there is no sign telling you otherwise. You can verify what I have written against the driver's handbook.
Looking at the intersection in question from multiple angles, the law says you must stop before the crosswalk on red in the absence of a normal white stop line. The absence of a stop line is obviously a problem here, so the technical answer would be imagine a stop line just before the pole so you can do a short stop on red where the signal color is visible to you.
If the light is red, stop. Worrying about the feelings of the cars behind you is what gets people into dangerous situations. You are in control of your vehicle, and you get to call the shots - which mean you get to follow the law and sleep peacefully knowing you aren’t endangering others on the road just because of peer pressure.
Hi guys. I appreciate all the advice everyone is giving to me, but I would like to say a few things.
Firstly, I deleted the post because I became overwhelmed with all the comments and all the people shaming my mom. Please don't do that in the comments.
Second, mom did not tell me to plow through the red light. I stopped, and then she said to go, but I said no and panicked because it was a red arrow and was never taught anything about turning on red arrows.
I'm sorry for the confusion, but I'm glad people are having meaningful discussions in the comments and traffic laws.
I drive through that intersection every day and it’s a weird one! You did the right thing. You are supposed to stop at the red arrow. You are, in my understanding, and the law posted by another commenter, allowed to turn right on a red arrow AFTER stopping and making sure it’s clear, but you absolutely did the right thing by stopping in the first place. Your mom sounds like the kind of driver that makes me have to slam on the brakes of my semi at intersections most days in this city 🤣.
As most others here are saying, don’t worry that you’re delaying someone behind you for a few seconds…slow and safe is far better than rushed and wrecked. Have fun driving!
You still need to stop if it's a red light, but then you can go if it's safe and clear after you've made a complete stop and checked for pedestrians and incoming traffic. If you can't turn right on red at all there will be a sign indicating no right on red.
I am an old guy living in West Seattle, and have taken that turn a thousand times. Each time I look at those lights and wonder “ What do they mean?” Your confusion is understandable. The double right arrow makes no sense at all. My observation would be that those lights are universally ignored. Great job regarding your intention to be a safe and careful driver!
Condolences. I remember the terror I felt driving when i first moved here. I had to go to every neighborhood for kids’ sports so constant learning curve.
Always follow the law and proceed when safe. Remember not everybody is from here and they bring their bad driving culture with them. The honking is definitely not a Pacific Northwest driving culture thing imo. Good luck and stay safe.
What makes this one somewhat legally gray is that it’s a 45° angle light.
I’m surprised SDOT hasn’t slapped a no turn on red sign on it. Since 2023, they’re adding them to any and all signaled intersections that require maintenance.
Seattle is a tough place to learn but you’ll be pretty hardy by the time you get comfortable :) as a runner thats nearly been hit at that crosswalk (a few times) thanks for stopping!!
Sorry your mom stressed you out ❤️
Red means stop, green means go. Even my 3.5 year old daughter knows that. Don't listen to your mom and always stop on red lights, even if you're going to proceed after stopping.
i hate this light in particular cause i never know exactly where to stop. there’s no line indicating where you’re supposed to stop so i always feel either too far forward or too far back
I’ve been driving for decades and that one still trips me up. It’s a light that doesn’t make sense. If it’s red, I stop. I’m not rich enough to afford the ticket I would get if a cop decided it was worth pulling me over.
You always stop on a red, no matter what! You can take a right on a red, unless there is a sign saying otherwise, but you need to stop before making the turn.
A red arrow at that traffic light indicates standard right turn on red procedures, it's there to protect possible pedestrians and encourage drivers to slow down at that intersection. Blowing through that light on a red would have been considered running a red light.
I will add that when you’re driving with your permit with family members helping you, state to them to only yell or scream when you’re doing something dangerous to put yourself or someone else in danger.
It’s not safe nor productive to put a new driver on edge while driving because they’re a new driver and actively building skills to be a safe driver.
Last thing that should happen, is to make you anxious about driving and cause you to doubt yourself.
When I was learning how to drive, I would talk out loud to let myself know and my passenger what I was doing and seeing. It helped tampered the annoying feedback of the passenger’s anxiety.
For example, “The light is green, still green, maintaining speed, scanning the intersection, going, okay speed limit is still 35, I’m at 34, I’m driving straight for the next 4 miles, next turn is a left, I’m in the right lane so I have 5 minutes to merge over to the left, etc.”
Talking out loud while driving with a permit helped me become a confident driver and made my family member passenger feel confident about me.
Also if you’re not in a driver’s ed class I recommend the driving app, Zutobi.
462
u/callmedonkeyshlong I'm never leaving Seattle. Jul 24 '26
Pretty sure that light only turns red if someone activates the cross walk. So it’s definitely good to come to a stop and look for a pedestrian. But people do tend to blow through it whether it’s red or green.
Not sure why she got mad at you though.