[abac]

After checking that it's safe, of course? Come on, fess up. I'm not a big stickler for rules, so as long as there's no cop around, and not too much traffic, (I don't want anyone taking my license plate number,) I go.<br><br>
How about you?

 

[Storm Bride]

No. I don't think it's a safety issue, if there's no other traffic around, but I also don't want to form bad habits behind the wheel. I think I'm much safer overall if I just continue to think "red means stop", without putting any conditions on it.

 

[abac]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>Storm Bride</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/10301396"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">No. I don't think it's a safety issue, if there's no other traffic around, but I also don't want to form bad habits behind the wheel. I think I'm much safer overall if I just continue to think "red means stop", without putting any conditions on it.</div>
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Really? Do you think you would get into the habit of going through without checking that it's safe? Do you not trust your own judgment? (Not meant to sound nasty.)

 

[the_lissa]

Nope. I don't mind waiting, but if I was in a rush, I would right turn, u-turn, right turn again.

 

[barose]

<br><span style="color:#000000;">Never, there are always blind spots where you cant see other cars. That is just irresponsible, IMO. Plus, a lot of lights around here have cameras that take pictures of people going through red lights (especially trying to catch the tail end of a yellow). The tickets come in the mail later because they camera photographs the license plate number. The tickets can be $400.</span>

 

[amandaleigh37]

yikes... no way. saving a few seconds of time isn't worth the risk. i'd only do it if i was in an emergency situation, needed to get to the hospital or something... life & death.... even then it would be risky <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/greensad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="greensad">

 

[alegna]

No.<br><br>
-Angela

 

[bjorker]

No, and it's not something that ever crossed my mind as an option.

 

[katheek77]

Nope.<br><br>
The *only* time i have done it is when it is very obvious that the stoplight is on the fritz. (ie...The stoplights in our neighborhood occassionally go screwy (esp. in the winter/wind), and stay continuously red in all four directions)

 

[OnTheBrink]

Never. My husband was killed in a car accident. I am (perhaps overly) cautious.

 

[rootzdawta]

I think I have a special appreciation for traffic lights, signals, and signs hailing from a country where there are hardly any. That being said, it may seem ridiculous to wait for the light to turn green when there's obviously no one around (like a 4 or 5 in the morning) but . . . what is the harm in waiting? I'm never in so much of a rush that I can't wait 1 or 2 minutes to be completely safe or at least, completely in the right if another car were to hit me. Even if I am late.

 

[earthmama369]

No, it's dangerous and stupid. Creating a habit of taking a shortcut means creating a sense of familiarity and comfort with doing something dangerous. That's a very common phenomenon. Most of the time when you read about somebody doing something incredibly stupid in the news and you wonder why they thought it would be ok, that's why. Because they did it and got away with it enough times to get careless and lose that sense that what they're doing is actually dangerous.<br><br>
I think it's also a very egotistical thing to do. The driver blowing a red light is saying that their time is more valuable than that of the other drivers who are actually following the law.

 

[abac]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>earthmama369</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/10307779"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">No, it's dangerous and stupid. Creating a habit of taking a shortcut means creating a sense of familiarity and comfort with doing something dangerous. That's a very common phenomenon. Most of the time when you read about somebody doing something incredibly stupid in the news and you wonder why they thought it would be ok, that's why. Because they did it and got away with it enough times to get careless and lose that sense that what they're doing is actually dangerous.<br><br>
I think it's also a very egotistical thing to do. The driver blowing a red light is saying that their time is more valuable than that of the other drivers who are actually following the law.</div>
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Oh, I really don't think it's dangerous or stupid. I'm not talking about barreling through a light without stopping. I mean more like when it's late at night and I stop and there's maybe one car around, and I look for other cars, then go. I don't see how it's different from a 4-way stop, (other than the fact that it's illegal.) It's not about my time being valuable, or more valuable than someone else's. It just seems silly to me to sit and wait at a light when nobody's around, for no reason other than that there is a light there.<br><br>
Who voted other, and what is the other?

 

[the_lissa]

The other thing is there is a lot of red light cameras here, and they aren' always obvious.

 

[Ruthla]

The only time I'll intentionally go through a red light is if it's rainy and there are cars close behind me, and I'm afraid of being hit from behind if I stop for the light. I was in an accident from just that when DD2 was 5mo.<br><br>
Otherwise, I stop for red lights, no matter who's around to see me. <b>I</b> know its the right thing to do.

 

[AllieFaye]

My brother died after car wreck a few years ago. Please don't do this.

 

[sapphire_chan]

Other:<br>
I've driven through red lights on a couple of occasions.<br>
1. Forgot I was at an intersection without an actual left turn light and imagined a green arrow and pulled into the intersection to wait for oncoming traffic to clear and then made the turn.<br><br>
2. Sat through 3 light cycles then turned left without an arrow a few nights ago. This was after watching the car in front of us go through without an arrow and another car came up behind us during the second cycle so I know the pressure sensors had a chance to trigger.<br><br>
3. In Evanston, IL they put the *&%^#% lights so far to the side of the street, we thought that cross traffic had a stopsign.<br><br><br>
But on a general basis? No. Unless they're blinking.

 

[Demeter9]

No. Only in the case of obvious signal malfunctions. You just don't know what over people are going to do, and even if it seems like no one is around SURPRISE - particularly if they think that they have the right away.

 

[Lauren82]

No never.

 

[Kirsten]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>amandaleigh37</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/10301895"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">i'd only do it if i was in an emergency situation, needed to get to the hospital or something.</div>
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I agree.