Page "Traffic light" Paragraph 75

In some instances, traffic may turn left ( in left-driving jurisdictions ) or right ( in right-driving jurisdictions ) after stopping at a red light, providing they give way to the pedestrians and other vehicles.

In some places that generally disallow this, a sign next to the traffic light indicates that it is allowed at a particular intersection.

Conversely, jurisdictions that generally allow this might forbid it at a particular intersection with a " no turn on red " sign, or put a green arrow to indicate specifically when a turn is allowed without having to yield to pedestrians ( this is usually when traffic from the perpendicular street is making a turn onto one's street and thus no pedestrians are allowed in the intersection anyway ).

Some jurisdictions allow turning on red in the opposite direction ( left in right-driving countries ; right in left-driving countries ) from a one-way road onto another one-way road ; some of these even allow these turns from a two-way road onto a one-way road.

Also differing is whether a red arrow prohibits turns ; some jurisdictions require a " no turn on red " sign in these cases.

A study in the State of Illinois ( a right-driving jurisdiction ) concluded that allowing drivers to proceed straight on red after stopping, at specially posted T-intersections where the intersecting road went left only, was dangerous.

Proceeding straight on red at T-intersections where the intersecting road went left only used to be legal in Mainland China, with right-hand traffic provided that such movement would not interfere with other traffic, but when the Road Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China took effect on 1 May 2004, such movement was outlawed.

In some other countries, the permission is indicated by a flashing yellow arrow ( cars do not have to stop but must give way to other cars and pedestrians ).