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The “right turn on red” (RTOR) rule may be going by the wayside.
Introduced back in the 70’s, it was hoped that allowing drivers to turn right on red would eliminate excessive idling at intersections, thus saving fuel. But since the RTOR rule was enacted, the fuel savings haven’t amounted to what experts had hoped.
More importantly, pedestrians are being injured by right-turning drivers not yielding to them.
Last week, Washington, DC city council voted to ban RTOR at most city intersections. The bill is just waiting for Mayor Bowser’s signature. New York City has already banned RTOR.