We have driven from the Philadelphia area to West Palm Beach, FL. the last three winters. We find drivers to be much LESS rude the further south we go. While in Florida we often comment how people don't beep their horn if you don't go right away when the light turns green as they do "up north". We find the drivers in that area of FL to be very patient and not at all rude. Now....as we go further south to Fort Lauderdale and Miami, etc. the drivers are more like those in our Phila,. area.

I've got to say, I find Florida drivers almost maddeningly patient. In central Florida (where I regularly go to visit family and lived when I was young), drivers don't honk, they let others into traffic, they go the speed limit, and I never hear anyone yelling at each other. It's frustrating to me to drive down there because I'm used to DC driving and I consciously have to make an effort not to drive like a jerk. It's very nice but I'm just not used to it!

Hobbert, I know what you're saying. There is a four way stop near my townhouse in Naples. Normally, the first person who stops would just go on. But every time I pull up to that stop, even if there are already cars at the other three points, everyone keeps gesturing "you first", "no you", etc. Why don't they just go in turn instead of holding up traffic trying to be so overly polite.

And at supermarkets or mall parking in Florida, I'm forever seeing people approach an open space cautiously as if they are saying "oh, are you waiting for this space? Then go ahead". Now that I'm in NJ, I find it almost a game to see who can get into the open space the quickest.

I learned to drive in MA where you are expected to go through a yellow light and probably the first couple of cars behind you will go through the red, so imagine my surprise at being giving a warning when I went through a light that turned yellow when I had just reached the intersection!

There seems to be a bit of a different driving culture in every part of the country.

hopingtotravel - I was waiting for somebody to comment on that. There are 2 kinds of red arrows that come to mind - the first is a simple red arrow. The second, a red arrow with the slash through it (in a circle).

So, in the first instance, you can still turn right on red, only after a complete stop. At other times that arrow may be green even though the main straight-through light is red - and then you do not need to stop. I've only ever seen them at intersections with dedicated right-turn lanes, of course.

For the arrow with the diagonal slash - no turn on red, period. To make it more interesting, some intersections around here (Central Florida), have this as a lighted sign that only lights up at certain times in the traffic cycle - those are the occasions where you cannot adequately view and judge oncoming traffic and so at that point the turn is completely prohibited. But, all too often, it seems that drivers cannot quite grasp that one and will make that turn. It's a fairly recent type of sign, so maybe that is why. But I still see those drivers get pulled over and ticketed - better that than a crash.

So, in the first instance, you can still turn right on red, only after a complete stop. At other times that arrow may be green even though the main straight-through light is red - and then you do not need to stop. I've only ever seen them at intersections with dedicated right-turn lanes, of course. >

I don't think this is quite correct although the scenario is good/descriptive. If it is not a blinking red arrow, I think it is a red light/stop/don't go. Just came back from a trip into town, and took note of this. It is for dedicated right turn lanes, and I have never seen anyone turn right on a red arrow.

No, that is correct, at least in Florida.

A red RIGHT arrow means that you must come to a complete stop at the marked stop line or before moving into the crosswalk or intersection. After stopping, you may turn RIGHT on the red arrow at most intersections if the way is clear. Some intersections display a "NO TURN ON RED" sign, which you must obey.

>A red RIGHT arrow means that you must come to a complete stop at the marked stop line or before moving into the crosswalk or intersection. After stopping, you may turn RIGHT on the red arrow at most intersections if the way is clear. Some intersections display a "NO TURN ON RED" sign, which you must obey.<

Source: http://www.dot.state.fl.us/trafficop...SignalFAQ.shtm

Maryland
4. Steady Red Arrow Signal
If you intend to move in the direction indicated by the arrow, come to a complete stop before reaching the stop line, crosswalk, or intersection. Remain stopped as long as the arrow signal is red.
http://www.mva.maryland.gov/_resources/docs/DL-002.pdf

Yep - really pays to know the rules where you are traveling, even just different states in the US.

I don't think a red arrow is any different than a red light in terms of whether you can turn right on red or not. And both will mean you must stop first, before turning. It's just that sometimes different lights change at different times and the red arrow is used to make clear that the red ONLY applies to turning right, for example if other lanes have turned green.

According to the Califormia DMV:

"No turn against a red arrow–You may not turn right or left against a red arrow."

Wow. That's news to me, but yes, I see you are right. Read it another place and it made it even more clear that you can not turn right if there is a solid red arrow UNTIL it changes to green.

By the way, if the red arrow is blinking, then you can go but yield to oncoming traffic.

With the exception of mid-town Manhattan where you'll rarely find me, and trying right turns on red regardless it's against the law, in most residential areas there's always some for-ner (as GWB would say), that's rearing to make that right turn on red. Sure enough, it's a driver from NJ or CT who gets caught with having to make a full stop on next corner. I always wonder 'what's the rush?'

In Los Angeles they'll honk at you if you don't know how to turn LEFT on red.

In Dade and Broward counties (Miami and Ft. Lauderdale) you are allowed to turn on red unless otherwise posted. I believe this is allowed in most of the state.

Sorry, For some reason I didn't see all these replies. I assumed I was the first to reply!! Must not have refreshed the page. I apologize for joining the party late and reposting what had already been said ( repeatedly!)

schmerl and Hobbert, I read about a study that was conducted a few years ago. Someone timed the length of time before someone honked at the driver of a car who didn't move after the light had turned green. In NYC, it was split seconds. The length of time varied from seconds in the NE, longer times the further south and Midwest and then two cycles of the light in Alabama. We rarely use our horns in the south to communicate irritation with another driver. That's just...rude. ;)

I'm sure not turning on a red arrow!!

"motorists turning right on red onto the same road must yield to those making U-turns before turning,"
"Well, bully for you, but that is not necessarily true elsewhere. So check it out."

I believe that IS true everywhere. If you're making right on a red, you must yield to any oncoming traffic.

Why would it be different for U-turners entering the same lane you will enter?

Yes, Tabernash, I've been waiting several days for Gretchen to answer that