Stopping When Turning Right In Delaware
Picture #5-7
QUESTION: There is no STOP LINE in the right-turn lane in the intersection picture above. Is a full stop still required before making a right turn on a RED TRAFFIC SIGNAL?
ANSWER: YES! According to DelDOT: “If… there is no striped or concrete island…this indicates that the right-turn movement is controlled by the traffic signal. In this situation there should be a STOP LINE across the right-turn lane.”
Additional Proof:
1. See intersection picture #5-7 above where DelDOT proves by their own signage, a traffic signal does not have to be located over the traffic lane it controls.
2. Note the traffic signal is not located over the right-turn lane. In this intersection picture #5-7 above, the black and yellow arrow is pointing to a sign that is hidden behind a pole. That sign is important in identifying the traffic signal is not required to be directly over a lane to control the vehicle movement in that particular lane.
3. What statement appears on this traffic sign? See intersection picture below – yellow and black arrow.
“RIGHT TURN ON RED MUST YIELD AFTER STOP”
4. DelDOT is providing signage proof that a traffic signal is not required to be located directly over a traffic lane in order to control the flow of traffic in that particular lane.
5. DelDOT has also identified by signage the absence of a stop line in a lane controlled by a traffic signal (picture #5-7 above) does not alter the stopping requirement of a red traffic signal when making a right turn.
“The D Team” FIX IT #3 recommendations: PAINT the required STOP LINE in all RIGHT-TURN LANES that are under the control of a TRAFFIC SIGNAL.
DE #896 South and Old Baltimore Pike — Newark, DE
CAUTION: Please don’t be lulled into believing there must be signage to require a full stop when making a right-turn from a right-turn lane that does not have a TRAFFIC SIGNAL directly over that lane. According to DelDOT: “If… there is no striped or concrete island… this indicates that the right-turn movement is controlled by the traffic signal.”
DE #4 East and Harmony Road — Newark, DE
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION FOR DELDOT: There may be sufficient area to channel the right-turn lane in intersection picture #5-10 above with a striped island. If that can be done, it would call for a YIELD before making a right-turn on a red traffic signal as well as a YIELD when making a right-turn on a green traffic signal.
