The traffic light was red, ____________ the car didn’t stop.

Driving in California can be challenging, especially when you must navigate through and around busy intersections. Most people would agree that, as a rule, left-hand turns are more complicated than other types of turns. Making a left turn at a light without a left turn arrow can be especially difficult, and in fact, such turns lead to a large number of automobile accidents. A study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) shows that turning left is one of the primary causes of automobile collisions. Sixty-one percent of crashes that occur while turning or crossing an intersection involve left turns, as opposed to just over three percent that involve right turns. When it comes to accidents that involve left-hand turns, many people believe that the driver who makes the left turn is always at fault for the accident. However, this is not always the case. The Left-Hand Turn Is a Highly Dangerous Maneuver Left-hand turns involve a significant amount of danger. They require judgment calls regarding the speed of oncoming cars, the length of time remaining on green and yellow traffic signals, and whether other drivers will follow traffic safety guidelines. Left turns are more dangerous than right turns because: • Most drivers tend to accelerate going into a left turn. The wider turning radius of a left turn, combined with higher speed, can result in greater pedestrian exposure and injury. • Left-hand turns generally demand more mental and physical effort than ri...

Driving home from a dinner party on a March night in 1913, the oil magnate George Harbaugh turned on to Cleveland’s Euclid Avenue. It was one of the city’s busiest streets, jammed with automobiles, horse-drawn carriages, bicyclists, trolleys and pedestrians, all believing they had the right of way. Harbaugh did not see the streetcar until it smashed into his roadster. “It is remarkable,” the local newspaper reported, “that the passengers escaped with their lives.” Many others wouldn’t. More than 4,000 people died in car crashes in the United States in 1913, the same year that Model T’s started to roll off Henry Ford’s assembly line. The nation’s roads weren’t built for vehicles that could speed along at 40 miles an hour, and when those unforgiving machines met at a crowded intersection, there was confusion and, often, collision. Though police officers stood in the center of many of the most dangerous crossroads blowing whistles and waving their arms, few drivers paid attention. A Cleveland engineer named James Hoge had a solution for all this chaos. Borrowing the red and green signals long used by railroads, and tapping into the electricity that ran through the trolley lines, Hoge created the first “municipal traffic control system.” Patented 100 years ago, Hoge’s invention was the forerunner of a ubiquitous and uncelebrated device that has shaped American cities and daily life ever since-—the stoplight. Hoge’s light made its debut on Euclid Avenue at 105th Street in Cleve...

Video below. I was approaching my red light and noticed that the cross traffic green was going to red. Anticipating this, I slowed but didn't stop over the induction loop. The bright flash you see in the video is the flash from the red light camera. It went off a fraction of a second before my light went green and I was still behind the stop line even!!!! Do you guys think I'm going to receive a ticket in the mail? Do I have a case against it? Timestamp in the video is incorrect. I was heading southbound on Gaetz Ave (50th Ave) at the intersection with 59th St in Red Deer. You won't get a ticket. The only way to get a ticket is if they have two photos - one of you before the intersection with a red light, and one with you entering on the red. Even if you break the intersection on a yellow, you won't get a ticket. The cameras are set up such that it has to be pretty blatant. Those flashes are a driving hazard in the night time IMO. They are flashing drivers with light WAY brighter than high beams, and mostly for no reason (they malfunction all the time). You won't get a ticket. The only way to get a ticket is if they have two photos - one of you before the intersection with a red light, and one with you entering on the red. Even if you break the intersection on a yellow, you won't get a ticket. The cameras are set up such that it has to be pretty blatant. Those flashes are a driving hazard in the night time IMO. They are flashing drivers with light WAY brighter than high be...

By Being involved in a rear-end accident is bad enough, but its even worse when you're stopped at a red light or stop sign. These kinds of accidents can be more than just annoying fender-benders; depending on your vehicle, they may cause serious injury or even death. That was certainly the case early Friday when a hit-and-run driver slammed into an Arizona motorcycle cop at a red light, killing the officer, Phoenix's KNXV-TV reported. Then there are chain-reaction crashes: The car that hit you may not have even been the one responsible for the crash, but you may still be injured. So can you sue if you've been rear-ended at a red light or stop sign? Rear-End Collisions Are Common, Not Trivial You may know a handful of people who have been involved in rear-end collisions while sitting at a red light, and many drivers are lucky enough to walk away from a crash unscathed. You may not be so lucky. Aside from the readily apparent damage to the rear end of your vehicle, there may be unseen damage to the frame, locking mechanisms, or even the front and rear windshields. And while your insurance company (assuming you're insured) may cover some of your car repair bills, it may not cover extensive medical bills related to the accident. Rear-end collisions can result in head and neck injuries that may not manifest themselves that day, but which may cost thousands to treat and cause serious pain and suffering. Both vehicular and medical damages What If the Car That Hit You Didn't Cause...

Image License: http://www.flickr.com/photos/katerha/6919352910/ A traffic stop following a perceived 1. Verify a clean driving record A driver with prior moving violations, parking tickets or accidents on the driving record in the past three years will not be able to dispute the ticket. The only hope is that the police officer does not attend the court date. Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles to request a copy of the driving record. 2. Know the traffic code A vehicle that is already in the intersection when the light turns red is not in violation of the red light laws. The wording of the traffic law can be dissected, and used, to dispute the ticket. The police officer’s perspective is important to the judge as well. His position can be disputed if the driver has concerns. 3. If not, pay the fine The fine associated with the ticket will have to be paid if the driver has previous marks on the driving record. Some judges have a reputation for eliminating the points associated with the violation. In this case, 4. If yes, attend the court date A clean driving record is an indication of responsible driving habits. Drivers, who are not a danger to themselves, or others, have the opportunity to request special consideration through one of the following methods. – Approach the prosecuting attorney – Arrive early and speak with the prosecuting attorney. This individual will listen to the request for a deferral or dismissal, which are explained below. – Ensure the police office...

In almost all car, bike, or motorcycle accidents, it's important to prove who was liable or responsible, that is: who made the mistake or was The following information will help you prove fault in a car accident and ultimately strengthen your case. Car Accidents and Police Reports Police don't always come to the scene of an Sometimes police officers don't show up at an accident. In places where police resources are limited, the parties often have to report the accident to the closest police station if injuries or significant property damage have occurred. After filing a police report, investigators may pick up your report and conduct their own inquiries. You can Police reports are the written recollections of the officer that studied the accident. These reports often contain great evidence about liability, such as the officer's opinion that one car was speeding based on the officer's observations of the length of the skid-marks. Officers also often indicate whether they issued any traffic tickets at the scene of an accident. The police report can be one of the most important pieces of evidence you present to your insurance company. Insurance companies may drag their feet about issuing car accident liability reports without first obtaining a copy of the police report. Amending a Police Report If there's a mistake in a However, amending a disputed fact, like fault determination, is much more difficult. Police departments often have different procedures for objecting to a rep...