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SALEM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A City Councilor in Salem, Mass. hopes to keep the city safer by banning right turns at red lights.
Ward 3 City Councilor Patti Morsillo said that allowing drivers to turn right on a red light has made it unsafe for pedestrians using the crosswalks.
“Drivers approach the light, they see that it’s red, they look to the left and just make their right on red without stopping,” said Morsillo. “It doesn’t matter if the crosswalk signal is on.”
There are currently 80 traffic lights in Salem that allow turning right on red. Morsillo hopes to ban the practice at some of the city's most dangerous intersections, even if it slows down the flow of traffic.
“It will hold up drivers for a few seconds more, but it will keep everyone safer, including drivers,” said Morsillo.
In addition to receiving a report from the city’s traffic chief, Morsillo has been collecting data from around the country to support her argument.
WBZ's Kendall Buhl (@WBZKendall) reports.
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