Running a right-turn red light

[bobsavage789]

Hello PH,

Quick question:

Would it be illegal or just inconsiderate to jump a red light that applies to right-turn only? It’s on my commute and quite a few times, some todger has decided they shouldn’t have to wait in the right-turn queue like everyone else. The light for straight-on is green, so they go through that, but then cut right and sit in front of the turn-right queue. From Google Maps:

[anonymous-user]

Illegal.

[UTH]

There's a certain spot in west London where I used to do exactly this in my youth, much to the anger of the guy waiting at the correct spot.

If the police saw me do it, I'm sure they'd have pulled me as technically I've crossed the solid white line where you should be waiting at a red light?

[TooLateForAName]

I saw this happen just the other day. The red-light jumper must have been quite shocked when the unmarked police car lit up and pulled him over.

bit stupid of him to have chosen to jump a red a couple of hundred yards from a large police station.

[anonymous-user]

After rethinking this, there may be instances where you can do this but not I would suggest when the filter has its own Lane.

[untakenname]

With the amount of dashcams these days on the roads I wouldn't risk it personally.

[Zetec-S]

Dick move... even more so depending on the junction layout.

If everyone did it then the person waiting correctly for the light to go green would not be able to move forward, so potentially the lights would turn red again before they had a chance to go.

[bobsavage789]

Just to clarify (lest it not already be clear): I wasn’t contemplating doing it myself; I was just wondering if the bell sniffs that do so are breaking the law, or just being scrofulous poltroons…