Should a traffic light be mounted on the RIGHT side of the road when turning right in Chicago? (West Chicago: insurance)

[theateist]

I got a red-light ticket because I didn't stop on North & IL 59 S in West Chicago. I turned right but did NOT see a traffic light on the RIGHT side of the road. The only traffic light I saw is circled in red in this image. But I thought it was for traffic that goes straight. I've never seen a road without a traffic light on the RIGHT side of the road or across the road (as shown here in green). It's very confusing. Should not there be a traffic light on the RIGHT side of the road for turning right? Image1 and Image2 are two images of the same intersection. Can I contest such situation?

[Parnassia]

Doesn't look unusual to me. If you were in fact in the curved "right only" lane that signal would have ended up on the left side of the car as it approached the intersection. In other words, on the side closest to you, the driver. Literally mere feet away from your eyes.

Not to mention that a cautious driver's eyes should be scanning the intersection for last second or lingering cross traffic they might need to adjust for once they did make their turn onto the cross street...and that traffic would be approaching from their left. While scanning for cross traffic, the signal in question would end up right in their line of sight. Don't know how you could miss seeing it unless you had made the hopeful assumption right turning traffic wasn't required to stop and you were no longer paying attention. Your mind had probably already moved on, thinking about what your next maneuver needed to be once you were on the cross street.

IMHO, even though the signal in question didn't seem to be showing red or a red right arrow (probably the more informative option the signal builder could have chosen) when you took your photos, what it was directing a driver in the righthand lane to do should have been clear. In fact, I find intersections with fewer but more consolidated signals less confusing than those with separate signals scattered on every corner. Like this one was attempting to do. Helps keep drivers' eyes directed to fewer places.

[GWoodle]

Pay your ticket and chalk it up to stupid tax. You didn't stop.

In TN you may see a yield sign on the RH side of the RH curve. A lot of times you need to stop if you can't see somebody coming across.

Starting to think the right turn on red is a bad deal. You need to stop first. If nobody is coming then you can go. No way does it give you the right to not stop & look.

[Seguinite]

I would have absolutely considered that a right turn YIELD lane. It certainly is elsewhere.

[MarianRavenwood]

I would definitely have interpreted the traffic light mounted in the triangle to be directing the right turn lane.

It appears to have the extra lights that would likely be green and yellow arrows, which would obviously be specifically for the turn lane and not for the straightaway lanes. And I've never heard of any rule that says traffic lights have to be mounted only on the right side of a vehicle--in fact doing so would have made it hard to see from the driver's side.

Moreover, if you thought the light was only for the straightaway traffic, that would then mean that there was no light at all dedicated to the right-turning traffic. Which would mean the default behavior is to follow the straightaway traffic signal, which would be to completely stop, look for traffic, and then proceed.

So no matter how you slice it, I don't see any explanation for why you thought you didn't have to stop.

Of course, you can always appeal it. But I don't see why it would be accepted. If you appeal I believe you have to pay court fees, which is usually way more than the ticket itself.

[movin1]

Consider yourself lucky. I got rear ended at an intersection like that. The guy hit me so hard it totaled my Lexus RX350 SUV.

The light was red for me, I stopped to wait for a car to go past so I could turn right. The guy who plowed into me said he didn't think I was going to stop. His insurance bought me a new car.

[Seguinite]

I've been places with right turn arrows at normal (perpendicular turn) intersections because the opposing traffic has a dedicated left turn arrow for some period of time, and then when that goes to an amber 'left turn yield', the other direction gets the green arrow right turn, even when straight traffic from that side is still stopped. I suppose this is to adjust for higher traffic flow in one direction at certain times, and those are confusing as hell when you drive up on them the first time.


The island light may well be for the right lane specifically... and that kinda makes sense. But why is nothing lit up in image 2? And how does the driver at the front of the line know when to go? He/she can't see the light.



Poorly designed with no additional signage.

[ChiGuy2.5]

I know this intersection very well. I've rarely seen a right side traffic light on four way intersections in Chicagoland.

I understand that this right turn lane is a bit longer than expected but that shouldn't be considered anything other than a 4 way intersection. It's not an off ramp and it's not a right turn onto a different road.

We are required to stop at red lights in a four way intersection. I would pay it and move on.