Right Turn on Red in Danger of Ending in Texas Because of Phones

(Tyler, Texas) – There has been an increase across Texas, and the country, in the number of people getting injured or even killed crossing an intersection. A majority of that is due to pedestrians and motorists not paying attention to their surroundings. It doesn’t matter how many times we warn someone or reemphasize the dangers of being on a phone while driving, people still do it and the results can be deadly.

A common driving practice used across the country is being able to make a right turn while a traffic light is red or at a stop sign. Some believe this practice could go away because of the increasing number of accidents it’s causing. The numbers back it but are law makers doing anything about it.

Right Turn on Red Dangers

A report by the Governors Highway Safety Association found that more than 7,500 people were either injured or killed by vehicles (Associated Press). In another study, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that the odds of a person being struck by someone driving a pickup truck were 89% higher. The odds of someone being struck by an SUV were 63% higher.

Why? Each vehicle has a larger blind spot. People driving those vehicles are not fully looking at their surroundings are causing accidents with people. Large cities like Washington, D.C., Chicago, Illinois and Ann Arbor, Michigan have banned the practice in all or certain parts of their city. New York City banned the practice many years ago. Other cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Denver have looked into similar bans.

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Right Turn on Red in East Texas

In Tyler, there is one intersection where right turn on red is prohibited (jeffweinsteinlaw.com). If you’re coming off of Highway 64 from the west onto Loop 323, you cannot turn right on red. You have to wait for a green light to do so.

Google Maps

While nothing is being talked about it in Austin right now, if accident numbers continue to rise, and more studies show it is a problem, the practice could very well come to an end. In the meantime, put your phone down when behind the wheel, stop driving like you’re the only person on the road and pay attention to your surroundings everywhere you go. Doing those three things will greatly reduce the number of accidents across East Texas, across Texas and across the country.

Check Out These 30 Weird Laws Still on the Books in the State of TexasIf you go through any state’s law book, you’re going to find some very strange laws that are just plain weird but still enforceable no matter how ridiculous. Gallery Credit: unsplash.com, YouTube, Getty Images, John Roman Stephen Pedersen via unsplash.comIllegal to Shoot Bison from a Second Floor Balcony Because we have random bison roaming wild next to a hotel or apartment nowadays. Russ Ward via unsplash.comIllegal to Sit on the Sidewalk in GalvestonYou can, and will, be fined $500 for sitting on the sidewalk in Galveston. John RomanPaying a Ticket is an Automatic Guilty PleaPaying the ticket waives your right to a resolution in court by entering a guilty plea. Randy Fath via unsplash.comIllegal to Drive Your Horse and Buggy Through a Town SquareYou can drive on the streets just not through the town square. You will have to park and walk. Oskar Kadaksoo via unsplash.comIllegal to Eat Your Neighbor’s GarbageWhile it should be common sense not to dumpster dive in your neighbor’s trash, this law is on the books and you can be charged with trespassing and property theft. Michael Dziedzic via unsplash.comIllegal to Conceal Carry Wire Cutters in AustinIts an old law to prevent someone from cutting another rancher’s fence. Lucas Sankey via unsplash.comYou Need a Permit to Walk Barefoot OutsideYou are supposed to carry a $5 permit if you want to walk barefoot in public in Texas. Jan Antonin Kolar via unsplash.comIllegal to Throw Confetti, Rubber Balls and Firecrackers in the City Limits of Borger, TexasJust as it says in the title, no throwing confetti, rubber balls and firecrackers in the city limits because they don’t believe in fun. Jakob Cotton via unsplash.comIllegal to Milk Someone Else’s CowThe fine for being caught doing this is no more than $10. However, there is a current law where you can be charged with theft for doing it. Holly Mandarich via unsplash.comRequired to Have Windshield WipersBut yet, you are not required to drive with a windshield in Texas. Hmmmm… Gwendal Cottin via unsplash.comYou Must Give 24 Hour Notice Before Commiting a Crime Against SomeoneBecause a criminal is going to take the time to notify you of his of her crime. If it does happen, you at least have time to defend yourself properly. Drew Farwell via unsplash.comIllegal to Drink Beer Standing Up in LeFors, TexasWe’d all be guilty of this. In LeFors, you can’t take more than 3 drinks of a beer while standing up. Why? No one knows. Edward Cisneros via unsplash.comIt is Illegal to Flirt with Your Eyes or Hands in San AntonioBoth men and women can be charged with this. farber2 via YouTubeIllegal in Houston to Sell Limburger Cheese on a SundayThere are other Texas cities where this is illegal, too. So pretty much every store that sells groceries violates this law. Drew Coffman via unsplash.comCommon Law MarriageIf a couple declares 3 times in public they are married, they are, in fact, legally married. One half of the couple doesn’t have to be present at the ceremony, either, to be legally married. There are 3 stipulations:
1. Both people are willing participates. 2. Both people are over 18. 3. Both people are NOT related. Derrick Treadwell via unsplash.comIllegal to Release Obnoxious Odors in an ElevatorIn other words, don’t fart in an elevator. Agustin Fernandez via unsplash.comIllegal to Give Children Unusual Haircuts in MesquiteThere are a lot of unusual haircuts nowadays so this would hard to enforce. Alex Shaw via unsplash.comIllegal to Show Your Stockings in Dennison and Bristol, TexasIn those two cities, if you show your stockings, you could spend up to a year in jail. Ankush Minda via unsplash.comTrains Can’t Move if They Meet Each Other at a CrossingThis is one is kinda complicated and very stupid. If two trains meet at a crossing at the same time, they have to stop. Neither train can move until the other has cleared the crossing but neither can move either. The story is a senator added this to a bill thinking it wouldn’t pass. It did and became law. Colin Lloyd via unsplash.comIllegal to Sell Your EyesThis was passed in the 1980’s that you can’t sell your eyes, or any organ for that matter. However, if you pay a doctor to remove your eyes, its legal. Clay Banks via unsplash.comIllegal to Own EncyclopediasHow our schools got away with this I don’t know but the whole reason is because they contain a recipe to make homemade beer. Chad Kirchoff via unsplash.comTaillights on Horses in TexarkanaIf you’re riding your horse at night in Texarkana, you have to use a taillight on your horse. Big Ed Barnham via YouTubeSpittoons Required in El PasoBy law, spittoons are required in all churches, assembly halls, hotels, banks, stores, train depots and saloons in El Paso. Gower Brown via unsplash.comIllegal to Pee on the AlamoYes, this law was passed after the Ozzy Osbourne incident where he peed on the Alamo. Getty Images/iStockphotoIllegal to Feather Dust a Public BuildingFor some reason this is a thing. I guess Texas doesn’t like dust removed. Getty Images/iStockphotoIllegal to Inhale Fumes from Glue in GalvestonMore specifically, inhaling model glue is against the law. Getty Images/iStockphotoNo U-Turns in RichardsonYou cannot make a u-turn at any intersection in Richardson. unsplash.comIllegal to Lasso a FishNo, you can’t be on your boat, on a dock or on the shore and try to lasso a fish like you’re in a rodeo. unsplash.comIllegal to be a Drunk SantaYes, it is illegal to be a Santa Claus at the mall while you are drunk. unsplash.comMutual CombatIf you have beef with another person and the only way to settle it is by fighting, both parties can agree to mutual combat and neither person can be charged with a crime.
Having said that, if one party is severely injured or a weapon is used, the mutual combat is no longer valid and charges can be filed. Texas has 12 Weird Laws for Buying and Selling Liquor in the StateThere are many who love to enjoy a drink that is made with a liquor of some kind. Thing is, in Texas, it can be somewhat inconvenient to do that. Inside are some weird laws for buying and selling liquor in Texas. Gallery Credit: unsplash.com unsplash.comLiquor Stores Cannot Sell on SundayThis is well known but still weird. If you want to have a hard drink on Sunday, better get it on Saturday. unsplash.comLiquor Stores Cannot Be Open on 3 HolidaysIf you’re needing liquor for your Thanksgiving or Christmas day dinner, you better buy it the day before as liquor stores can’t be open on the day of those 2 holidays. Liquor stores also cannot be open January 1. If Christmas or New Year’s Day (January 1) falls on a Sunday, the stores have to be closed on Monday. unsplash.comParents Can Buy Their Underage Children AlcoholHaving said that, as someone who has worked in the bar industry, the establishment can refuse the sale if it does not feel comfortable having a minor drinking in their business. unsplash.comIf You are Under 21 but are Married, Your of Age Spouse Can Buy You a DrinkThis is pretty much self explanatory. unsplash.com4 Texas Counties are Completely “Dry”There are 4 counties in Texas where no alcohol is sold, Borden, Kent, Roberts and Throckmorton. In the Houston Heights area of Houston, you have to join a restaurant’s “club” to order a drink. unsplash.comCoupons Can’t Be Used to Buy Liquor or BeerYou can’t use a coupon like you would for food in a grocery store for the purchase of alcohol. unsplash.comDrive Thru Daiquiri Shops are Perfectly LegalThey can get by the open container laws buy sealing the drinks before handing it to you. If you break that seal while driving, however, you will face the consequences if caught. unsplash.comA Restaurant or Bar Can’t Be an “Exclusive Seller” of Any AlcoholThe TABC prevents this for competitive reasons. unsplash.comBig Box Stores Can’t Sell LiquorTexas does not allow a publicly traded company with more than 35 share holders to sell liquor. Stores like Walmart can sell beer and wine but no liquor. unsplash.comLiquor Can Only Be Sold in “Package Stores”Liquor can only be sold from a stand alone building. That “package store” owner can own no more than 5 stores, either. unsplash.comFood Trucks Cannot Sell AlcoholThe TABC requires “adequate seating areas for customers” and at least 2 working bathrooms for men and 2 for women connected to a city’s water supply. Also, the licenses to sell alcohol can be too expensive for these small business owners. unsplash.comYou Can’t Stand and Drink In LeFors, TexasThe city has a weird law that makes it illegal to take more than 3 sips of your drink while standing.