"Why US Drivers Can Turn Right on Red: A Detailed Look at Its Pros and Cons"

Why is it permissible to make a right turn at a red light in the United States, and should this action be banned? Recent times have seen cities such as Atlanta, Denver, Indianapolis, Washington, and Raleigh (North Carolina), amongst others, suggesting or approving laws to suppress traffic in central zones or the entire city. The objective behind such decisions is speculated to be a protective response towards increasing pedestrian and cyclist fatalities recorded in the past four decades. In the United States, turning right at a red signal is a common traffic doctrine, often leading to impatient drivers honking at those who hesitate. This norm is currently under scrutiny and set to meet governmental restrictions due to its high-risk nature. Initially, only a few states in the west, primarily California, permitted the right turn on a red signal. The rule proliferated nationwide in the 1970s, as a countermeasure to the Arab oil embargo against the United States and fuel rationing. Implemented as a tactic to save gasoline, it was believed that this would trim down the queuing time at red signals. The 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act by Congress expedited the induction of right-on-red laws in states. The Act linked the approval of federal assistance to each state's permitting of the right-turn-on-red (RTOR) "to the maximum extent possible and consistent with safety". In 1972, 13 states legalized RTOR, according to the legislative history of the practice in Connecticut. By the end of the decade, almost all of the nation's states had adopted it. However, the patchwork of municipalities where it is allowed only adds to driver confusion. Cities across the nation are increasingly concerned about the right lane. Lately, Atlanta, Denver, Indianapolis, Washington, Raleigh (North Carolina), and other major cities have proposed or passed laws forbidding traffic in central areas or the whole city. These rulings are an effort to protect pedestrians and cyclists amidst the highest number of pedestrian deaths in over 40 years. Eric Dumbaugh, a professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Florida Atlantic University, who studies road safety, states that right turns on red "introduce additional movements at the intersection". This increases the chances of collisions between motorists and pedestrians who see a green light and believe it's safe to cross, collisions with bicycles, and rear-end collisions. A survey ordered by the city of Indianapolis, where pedestrian deaths reached a peak in 2022, found that around 57% of car accidents involving pedestrians occurred due to drivers failing to yield to people at all intersections over a five-year period. In San Francisco, traffic accidents involving right turns on red comprise less than 1% of all injury accidents but account for 20% of accidents involving pedestrians or cyclists. "Our right-on-red ban proposal intends to prioritize the welfare of pedestrians at intersections," Atlanta city councilor Jason Dozier, who introduced the prohibition in some parts of the city, stated last week in X. At the national level, drivers reportedly killed at least 7,500 pedestrians in 2022, according to the latest figures from the Governors Association for Road Safety. This number has been the highest since 1981 (some states include cyclists in their pedestrian death data, while others do not). There are reasons for this: higher driving speeds, distracted drivers...-