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Rules of the Road: Placing and removing signs along the roadways
By Paul Kline
When we drive around Green Valley, we see many temporary signs along the roads. They may be providing directions to garage sales, open houses, estate sales, or just communicating information about what is going on in town. Here are a few “do’s and don’ts” to practice when you are placing or removing signs along a roadway.
Do:
Make a dry run to see where the best places are for your signs, and determine the safest place to park your vehicle to place or remove a sign.
Put on your emergency lights when you park your vehicle to place or remove a sign.
Park your vehicle out of the roadway and/or golf cart lane if at all possible.
Park your vehicle at least three car lengths back of an intersection.
Close your driver’s side door when you exit your vehicle.
Don’t:
Park on a corner, with the nose of your vehicle around the corner, and the rear end of your vehicle blocking traffic on the street you parked on.
Park so close to the corner that other vehicles have to drive around you in the wrong lane to make a right turn.
Park your vehicle where it might block another driver’s view of traffic.
With just a little planning, and a conscious effort, all of us can help keep Green Valley a safe place to drive.
Right on red
Unless posted by a sign, saying “no turns on red light,” you can turn right at a red light if you follow the rules.
First, you must come to a complete stop with the front of your car not passing the wide white line. This line is referred to as a “stop line.”
In many cases, there will be two more wide white lines that indicate the pedestrian crossing path.
Also, if there is a golf cart and bicycle lane on your right, you cannot cross the solid white line until it ends or becomes a dashed white line.
If there are any pedestrians crossing the street they have the right of way. You are only free to start your right turn if there is no traffic coming from your left and there are no cars making a left turn into the street that you want to turn right into.
After checking all of these conditions, you can make your right turn.
One of the most common bad habits is to execute a rolling stop. You must come to a complete stop.
A correct right turn is going from the right lane into the right lane. Do not cut across the roadway into the left lane. After you have positioned your car in the right lane, you can move to the left lane if you are planning to turn left. Turn on your left turn signal, check to see that the left lane is clear and position your car in the left lane.
Practice correct driving habits — it might just save you a ticket!
Watch for my next “Rules of the Road” column and drive safely.
Paul Kline is a member of the Pima County Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers. “Rules of the Road” is a public service from the Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers in Green Valley.
Do:
Don’t:
With just a little planning, and a conscious effort, all of us can help keep Green Valley a safe place to drive.
Right on red
Unless posted by a sign, saying “no turns on red light,” you can turn right at a red light if you follow the rules.
First, you must come to a complete stop with the front of your car not passing the wide white line. This line is referred to as a “stop line.”
In many cases, there will be two more wide white lines that indicate the pedestrian crossing path.
Also, if there is a golf cart and bicycle lane on your right, you cannot cross the solid white line until it ends or becomes a dashed white line.
If there are any pedestrians crossing the street they have the right of way. You are only free to start your right turn if there is no traffic coming from your left and there are no cars making a left turn into the street that you want to turn right into.
After checking all of these conditions, you can make your right turn.
One of the most common bad habits is to execute a rolling stop. You must come to a complete stop.
A correct right turn is going from the right lane into the right lane. Do not cut across the roadway into the left lane. After you have positioned your car in the right lane, you can move to the left lane if you are planning to turn left. Turn on your left turn signal, check to see that the left lane is clear and position your car in the left lane.
Practice correct driving habits — it might just save you a ticket!
Watch for my next “Rules of the Road” column and drive safely.
Paul Kline is a member of the Pima County Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers. “Rules of the Road” is a public service from the Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers in Green Valley.
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