U-Turning on Discretionary Right Turns

After getting my driver's license on 4 Jan earlier this year, I have been practicing driving on the roads for about a month and a half now. I've seen many weird stuff happen on the roads, and the number is likely to increase. One of the challenges I've seen is discretionary right turns on the roads.

For those who do not drive, discretionary right turns happens at a cross-junction. Suppose I wish to turn right at a traffic light. I form up in the lane for motorists turning right. If I am the first motorist in line, if I deem that the oncoming traffic is clear enough for me to turn right, I can go ahead even if the green arrow has not come on. Sometimes, an oncoming vehicle could be approaching the junction, but if I decide I can complete my turn before he reaches the junction, I can perform my discretionary right turn. Such junctions with discretionary right turns often have a green arrow next to the green light.


The danger of such discretionary right turns is when drivers do not judge properly and misinterpret the oncoming traffic. The immediate danger is a turning vehicle may turn into the path of an oncoming vehicle, resulting in an accident. Even if the either vehicle stops in time to avoid the accident, the stop would most likely be an emergency brake, hence the vehicles following behind may also collide into the front vehicles. 

If the pedestrian crossing light is green, the right turning vehicle may not notice pedestrians when turning right, and when he does take evasive action, it might be too late.

Discretionary Right Turns also run the risk of road misunderstandings even before the turn. I have encountered when I determined the right turn to be not safe, hence I stay at the junction. But the driver behind me disagrees and honks at me. Of course, I do not react. But if I were in a distressed mood, this could cause me to go ahead and make the right turn and possibly get into an accident. Or if I were in a bad mood, I may confront the rear driver and result in a road rage incident. Certainly both situations are undesirable.

There are two real-life incidents that discretionary right turns have led to the death of road users. One accident was of the NUS Student Kathy Ong at the intersection of Clementi Road and Commonwealth Avenue West, while the other happened at Upper Bukit Timah Road. Both drivers were charged with death by a rash act. In fact, I saw the video of the Clementi Road accident during my BBDC PPL, the taxi driver did not check the oncoming traffic properly and proceeded to turn right at high speed straight into the path of an SUV going straight (at high speed too). This reckless and careless taxi driver (sigh, taxi drivers) caused the death of a young lady who could've put her education to good use to society, what a pity. 

Just last Sunday, after new year visiting an officer with colleagues, I was sending a colleague home when we approached a junction around the Jurong West area. The cars in front of me were turning right, and I was about to follow them. As there was a huge bushy tree right behind the traffic light, I misinterpreted the green arrow as on due to the green background. I continued following the cars right till the point I was about to turn, when I suddenly saw an oncoming car being very close to the junction. Thankfully, as I was at a rather slow speed, I managed to stop the car inside the demarcated lot allocated for right-turning vehicles before commencing turning. I avoided an accident that day, thankfully.

It is hence that I welcome the red-amber-green right turn arrows that will soon be introduced to all traffic lights. The Red-Amber-Green right turn arrows mean that we will only be allowed to turn when the green right turn arrow turns on, and there is no discretionary right turn. Therefore, when we turn, the traffic system determines it to be safe for us to turn. This way, such near misses and accidents can be avoided.

Although such a change may increase travelling time by car by a few minutes, it is certainly better to spend a few minutes to save a life, rather than to race the opposite cars and get into a serious accident. It only takes a second of misjudgement for one to have a lifetime of regrets.

For those who are rushing to save those few minutes as they are late for work, or a meeting, or to visit a loved one in hospital, I understand how they must be feeling. However, such drivers will be in a more frantic and anxious mood, which clouds their judgement; Drivers who are rushing often make lapses in judgement and end up in traffic accidents. Implementing the red-amber-green arrow system reduces the number of such accidents.

These arrows are a small price to pay to ensure the safety of our road users. 

I leave the reader with a 2018 article from TODAY about the plans to change all traffic lights to red-amber-green arrows. https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/motorists-wait-green-arrow-making-right-turn-most-traffic-junctions-5-years-lta

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