The 4:47 p.m. Right Turn
At 4:47 p.m. on a Wednesday, you are southbound on a two-way municipal road in New Jersey, approaching a signalized intersection with a one-way westbound cross street. You want to turn right. The signal is steady red. On the near right mast arm, a sign reads: NO TURN ON RED 7-9 AM AND 4-6 PM MON-FRI. A pedestrian has just stepped off the curb on your right and is entering the crosswalk across the street you want to enter. Your rear passenger says the sign is only a suggestion because right turns on red are always legal in New Jersey. Traffic behind you is light. The cross street has a marked stop line and a clearly visible one-way arrow pointing west. You have a clear view of the intersection except for a delivery van parked near the far corner.
1. What is the lawful action at this moment, and which details control?
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You must stop and remain stopped. The controlling detail is the sign: it prohibits right turns on red from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and it is 4:47 p.m. on a Wednesday. New Jersey's default rule allows a right turn on red after a full stop unless a sign prohibits it, but this sign removes that permission during the listed hours. The pedestrian independently blocks the turn: even outside the sign's hours, you must yield to a pedestrian in the crosswalk you would enter. The one-way cross street does not override the sign, and the passenger's 'always legal' statement is wrong. Wait behind the stop line without creeping into the crosswalk.
2. At 6:10 p.m. the same Wednesday, the pedestrian has cleared and the sign is still there. What changes?
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The sign's time window has ended, so the prohibition no longer applies at 6:10 p.m. You may turn right on red only after coming to a complete stop at the stop line, checking for pedestrians and cross traffic, and yielding to any vehicle or pedestrian with the right of way. Confirm that the pedestrian is fully clear and that no one else is entering the crosswalk. Turn into the correct westbound lane of the one-way street, not into an oncoming lane. Do not treat the expired restriction as permission to roll the stop: the full stop and yield requirements still apply.
3. Suppose the sign were missing entirely. What is the default rule and what checks would you make before turning?
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Without a prohibiting sign, New Jersey's default is that a right turn on red is permitted after a complete stop, unless another restriction applies. Before turning, check the signal color, the stop line, pedestrians in the crosswalk, bicycles, and cross traffic. Confirm the cross street is actually one-way westbound so your turn will enter the correct lane. Look for any other sign on the near or far corner that prohibits turns on red, and check for vehicles turning left from the cross street. The one-way arrow helps with lane choice, but it does not create a right to turn while the light is red; the default permission does, subject to the stop and yield.