This is the Most Run Red Light in Dutchess County, New York

Is there an unwritten rule that I am unaware of? Because every time I'm at this red light in Dutchess County, people just dash right through it as if it isn't even there! Have you blown through this red light?

The Most Run Red Light In Dutchess County is in Poughkeepsie, New York

Besides working here at the radio station, I also DoorDash on the side. As you can expect, I've been in the car a lot lately, and I've been learning so much more about the local communities than ever before. I'm learning all the shortcuts and back roads. I'm learning all the names of the hosts and hostesses at restaurants. I know what to and what not to order from restaurants. I'm learning which restaurants in the Hudson Valley have the shortest and longest wait times. And most especially, I'm learning where people have no regard for the rules of the road.

There is this one intersection in particular where I've witnessed drivers completely disregard the right of way and safety. This must be the most run red light in Dutchess County. At the intersection of Columbus Drive and Church Street in Poughkeepsie, the section of US-44/East-West Arterial right near the Mid-Hudson Bridge, I have seen countless amount of cars blow through the red light. I've nearly been in several accidents where I am turning left onto the Arterial when I have the green light, and someone who is going straight on the Arterial runs the red light, almost colliding with me. It's not even like those cars were trying to beat the yellow light, it can be green for a while on my side, and cars will disregard their red light.

The worst offenders have been those who are turning left off of Columbus onto Church. It's not even like people are trying to beat the yellow light or anything. The light can be red for a while, and lines of cars will just turn left onto 44 even though they don't have the right of way. It's not even like they are turning right on red, which you can't even do there because it is a one-way, all these cars are turning left on red! And this is the only light in the area where I see people do this. People will behave every other traffic sign and signal, but not this one. Why is that?

Can You Turn Left on Red in New York State?

Before I get into an accident while I'm over there, is this actually legal? Most of us are familiar with being able to turn right on red, but what about left? Turns out, yes! According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, you can make a left turn at a steady red light when you turn from a one-way road into another one-way road after you come to a full stop and yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. So that explains why people turn left through here. But again, you are supposed to yield. Some people still just blow through this, which is not allowed. This rule does not justify those who are driving straight through the red light.

If you find yourself at a red light and you need to turn left from one one-way street to another, remember you can go through if it is clear, but make sure you actually yield before blasting through.