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Just came to a red arrow. My husband thought you could turn right I said no....

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    The red right arrow signifies that you cannot turn right on red. If it was a red circle, it would depend on the state laws regarding right on red. Definitely no to right on red arrow though!
    – NotJay
    Aug 24, 2015 at 14:15
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    @NotJay As stated in the answer in some states Right turn on Right Red Arrow is still allowed though PA isn't one of those.
    – Karlson
    Aug 24, 2015 at 17:21
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    True, but the answer also states that a sign will be present indicating whether right on red is permitted after stopping in which case, this wouldn't be a question.
    – NotJay
    Aug 24, 2015 at 17:24

2 Answers 2

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The Pennsylvania Driver's Manual currently says you can turn right on red after stopping. (This is actually true in almost all of the United States, with the notable exception of New York City.)

A STEADY RED ARROW means you must stop and may not turn in the direction the arrow points. Wait for a Green Arrow or a Flashing Yellow Arrow before you start. The same turns-on-red that are allowed for a steady red signal are allowed for a steady red arrow.

(At the time this post was originally written, it read differently, and suggested that you could not turn right on red at a red arrow.)

However, at some intersections, such as the one you mentioned, you may see a red arrow. If this is present, you may not turn in that direction, and must wait for the light to change. When you are allowed to go in that direction, a green arrow will appear.

Although not common in Pennsylvania, a RED ARROW is used in other states. It means you may not turn in the direction the arrow points.

Whether you can turn right on a red arrow does vary by state, though. For instance, you cannot in New York. But, for instance, in Indiana or Florida you can turn right on the arrow after stopping.

RIGHT TURN ON RED AFTER STOP

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  • Just to add to the information: Everywhere I've seen a right turn RED ARROW I've also seen a "NO TURN ON RED" sign hanging beside it.
    – Karlson
    Aug 24, 2015 at 17:23
  • @Karlson I found an interesting counter-example right here at home. :) Apr 2, 2016 at 17:54
  • I don't claim to have been everywhere in PA. :-) I've seen a sign like that in places in NJ and New York though
    – Karlson
    Apr 2, 2016 at 21:17
  • A number of other states similarly changed from "no turns against red arrow" to "right turn on red rules apply unless posted". The DOT of my state said there were less than 10 intersections statewide that were affected by the change since nearly all were posted.
    – user71659
    Oct 17, 2018 at 18:46
  • @user71659 That's good news, I suppose. Feel free to make an edit to the post if something is still wrong. Oct 17, 2018 at 19:22
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According the Pennsylvania Driver's Manual, you can actually turn right on a red arrow. Here's what the manual says:

A STEADY RED ARROW means you must stop and may not turn in the direction the arrow points. Wait for a Green Arrow or a Flashing Yellow Arrow before you start. The same turns-on-red that are allowed for a steady red signal are allowed for a steady red arrow.

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    Thank you for the answer! Any chance you can find an online link saying that, that we can link to? Thanks for joining Travel.SE! May 2, 2018 at 16:46

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