Q: Don Miller of Riverside said he recalls reading a while ago about a new law regarding left turn lanes with signal controls, saying that if there was no traffic in the area, and it was safe to do so, drivers could legally make a left turn on a red light. Miller asked if this is true and whether such a law indeed exists.
A: In California, there is only one scenario in which it’s legal to make a left turn on a red light, and that’s if you are driving on a one-way street and turning on to another one-way street. You must make sure there is no traffic or pedestrians and be turning against a circular red light, not a left-turn arrow. It’s never legal to turn left or right in an intersection on a red arrow signal.
Here’s the California Vehicle Code section on this (21453) (b): “Except when a sign is in place prohibiting a turn, a driver, after stopping as required by subdivision (a), facing a steady circular red signal, may turn right, or turn left from a one-way street onto a one-way street. A driver making that turn shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to any vehicle that has approached or is approaching so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard to the driver, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to that vehicle until the driver can proceed with reasonable safety.”
Q: Earl Jones of Victorville expressed concern about vehicles with no front license plates and what he said is a lack of police enforcement for the law that requires them. Jones noted that having a front license plate helps law enforcement catch some offenders and solve crimes, so it’s important for those who don’t have one to be cited.
A: California Vehicle Code section 5200 says both plates – front and back – must be affixed to the vehicle if the Department of Motor Vehicles issues two license plates (vehicles like some commercial trucks and motorcycles only have to display one so there are exceptions). The front license plate does give police another way of looking up a car if, for instance, the rear plate is obstructed by a tow vehicle or something else. Front license plates also can help enforce red light cameras and toll roads. While illegal, lacking a front license plate isn’t a top police priority on a daily basis.
“It’s one of those things that if there are more pertinent things to pay attention to, that’s where the enforcement goes. It is definitely something that you can be cited for though,” said Officer Dan Olivas of the California Highway Patrol Inland Division.
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DMV office reopens
Finally, for desert dwellers: the Department of Motor Vehicles office in Needles has reopened. The office, at 1040 East Broadway St., reopened this fall after closing May 24 for renovations, which included an expanded area to serve visitors, new flooring and new furniture. Regular hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays.
Do you commute to work in the Inland Empire? Spend a lot of time in your vehicle? Have questions about driving, freeways, toll roads or parking? If so, write or call On the Road and we’ll try to answer your questions. Please include your question or issue, name, city of residence, phone number and email address. Write ontheroad@scng.com or call us at our new phone number, 951-368-9995.