Two Cats on a Bicycle: A Driving Primer for Connecticut Drivers, Part 2

This primer is presented somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but it is inspired by the actual activity I've seen on the roads since moving to Connecticut. To be fair, it may just be the greater New Haven drivers that really need this primer, as I hear that even Massachusetts drivers think New Haven area drivers are terrible. One legal-ish note: none of the images used here are mine. Click on an image to see where I've linked to it from and any copyright information that may be included.

Part 1 of this driving primer focused on the confusing lines in the road that run parallel to the road itself.

Part 2: Traffic Lights, Stop Lines, and Crosswalks
One particularly difficult item that drivers must deal with during almost any drive is what to do at a traffic light or intersection. The rules seem vague or pointless, but they really are very specific. In this part of our driving primer, we uncover just exactly what these rules tell you to do in nearly any situation.

Traffic lights We will focus on how traffic lights work in the United States, since this primer is aimed at Connecticut drivers, and Connecticut spends the vast majority of its time in the U.S.A. Traffic lights in other countries sometimes behave differently (even as nearby as Canada, where there is a flashing green), but covering everything would be confusing.

Traffic lights in the United States may typically be found in one of three states, as shown below (shamelessly clipped from a Wikipedia article which is, ironically, about how traffic lights work in the United Kingdom):

Note the explanation of each of the figures.

Figure 1's explanation says that a red light means stop. This means that if the traffic light looks like figure 1 before you and your vehicle enter the intersection then you must stop your vehicle and wait for it to look like figure 2 before going through. It does not mean that 4 or 5 more vehicles should go through the intersection even though the right light is showing, in spite of what many drivers in the New Haven area clearly believe. This is one of those places where the rule is actually very clear (you must stop and wait) but that common interpretation (you might stop, but if you're in one of the first "few" cars then it's okay to go through) makes it seem more confusing than it really is.

There is one situation where you do not need to wait for the light to resemble figure 2 before proceeding: the "right turn on red", or "free right turn". The rule is still very clear about this, however. You must stop before making the turn. You stop your vehicle and carefully look to make sure no traffic is coming towards you before making the turn. Some motorists seem to think that simply coasting for a moment and then turning without looking for oncoming traffic is okay. It is not. The main rule is really very simple: if the red light is glowing then you must stop your vehicle. Important note: The presence of a sign that says "NO TURN ON RED" means that you are not allowed to perform a "right turn on red" maneuver. In that case, you must stop your vehicle and wait for the green light to glow before making your turn.

I now bring your attention to figure 3; the yellow (or "amber") light glowing. This state occurs just after figure 2 and just before figure 1. It is a warning to you that the red light is about to start glowing, so you should prepare to stop. In Connecticut, it appears that many motorists are not aware that this state is any different from the state shown in figure 2. In a sense it isn't: if you're already passing through the intersection (or just entering it) when the amber light comes on then you may continue through. Otherwise, you should prepare to stop since the red light will come on shortly. (Side note: in many states, including my native Washington (the state, not D.C.), drivers seem to believe that figure 3 means "go really, really fast so you don't have to stop when the red light comes on". It turns out that this is also incorrect as, if anything, you should slow down when the amber light is lit, not speed up.)
Stop lines and crosswalks

Stop Lines The solid white lines that go halfway across the road on each side of this intersection (see the image below) are called stop lines. When approaching the intersection, if the light facing you is showing red (see figure 1, above), then stop your vehicle before crossing this line. Your vehicle should not be across the line, even part way, when you come to a stop. What you should definitely not do is stop with the stop line behind you. If you have done that then you are (by definition) in the intersection.

Sometimes, the stop lines seem to be set way back from the intersection itself. Take, for example, the stop line on the right in the image above. That stop line is so far back for a very good reason: buses and other large vehicles traveling north (upwards in the image) frequently turn right at that intersection. If you don't stop before your vehicle crosses that line then they will be unable to turn the corner without hitting your vehicle (which the bus drivers in Connecticut have no problems with doing). If you see a stop line that seems unreasonably far back from the intersection then it is back there for a reason. Stop there anyway.
Crosswalks Crosswalks are places where people walking, jogging, or otherwise moving themselves along with their feet (we'll call these people "pedestrians") are supposed to be able to cross the street safely and without vehicles in their way. A crosswalk can be identified by two white lines several feet apart perpendicular to the road and all the way across the road. In the image above, there are two crosswalks: one on the road coming in from the right and one at the bottom of the intersection. Note how these crosswalks are lined up with the sidewalks for the convenience of the pedestrians (who should be using the sidewalks). Note also that the crosswalks are beyond the stop lines. In other words, if you stop at the stop line then you are in no way blocking the crosswalk with your vehicle. You should never stop your vehicle in a crosswalk (unless not doing so would cause an accident, of course). The crosswalk is part of the intersection, so stopping in the crosswalk is just like stopping right in the middle of the intersection: it's rude, dangerous, and illegal.

Little known fact: In spite of how they are spaced, the point of the lines for crosswalks is not to stop with your front wheels on one line and your rear wheels on the other. While this is a fun and exciting game to play in the privacy of your own backyard, it is dangerous, rude, and illegal to do so on public roadways.

Crosswalks can be marked in many different ways. I focused on the "standard" style of crosswalk above, but crosswalks can actually be marked in many different ways, as shown in the image below:

Any of these can be used to indicate a crosswalk, so watch out for any of them.
One final important note about crosswalks: they don't always occur at intersections. When you encounter a crosswalk in a location with no intersection (or special traffic light), look before driving through the crosswalk to see if any pedestrians are either (a) currently in the crosswalk or (b) at the edge of the road and appearing to wish to use the crosswalk. If either one of these conditions is met then stop your vehicle before beginning to go through the crosswalk and wait for the pedestrian(s) to finish using the crosswalk before continuing. The white car in the picture below is doing it wrong. (The pedestrian in this picture is a policeman, by the way. Just something to think about.)

The cars in this picture, on the other hand, are doing it right at the very same crosswalk. (Note that this crosswalk is not at an intersection.)