Posted on 08/05/2026 6:34:54 PM PDT by Red Badger
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville drivers could soon face new restrictions at red lights across much of the city. Metro Council is weighing a proposal that would ban most right turns on red within the Urban Services District as part of a broader effort to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries.
District 16 Council Member Ginny Welsch, one of the bill's sponsors, said Nashville's roads have become increasingly dangerous.
"We know overall that the streets of Nashville are extremely dangerous. For the past several years, we've had over 100 people killed on our roads," Welsch said.
The bill is led by Council Member Sandra Sepulveda and co-sponsored by Welsch and others. It is part of Nashville's Vision Zero initiative, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries.
"So this is just one tool in our toolbox to implement Vision Zero, the goal of which is to eliminate all pedestrian deaths, all deaths on the street," Welsch said.
Welsch said driver behavior at red lights is a key factor behind the push for the ban.
"We know a lot of people are injured because of right turn on red. We know that people don't stop on right turns on red. They kind of roll through the stop," Welsch said.
Some residents say the change would make them feel safer. Jen Swanlund, a nurse who lives in the area, said the current rules create dangerous situations for people on foot.
"I don't think it's a bad idea with the way the traffic is around here and how many accidents there are. It might be good if it was just one rule and nobody had to worry about when they could turn," Swanlund said.
Swanlund said she has experienced close calls while walking home.
"Well, I have a lot of days where I'm walking home, and somebody almost hits me because they don't look both ways and they turn on red because they were only looking for oncoming traffic," Swanlund said.
Others expressed concerns off camera that the ban could create more traffic delays and confusion for drivers. Welsch pushed back on those concerns, pointing to intersections where similar restrictions are already in place.
"We have seen that this small thing has really had a positive impact on keeping people alive on the streets," Welsch said.
The bill receives its first reading at Metro Council on Tuesday. If approved, the new rules would take effect 150 days after the ordinance is enacted.
Under the proposal, the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure would install "No Turn on Red" signs at signalized intersections throughout the Urban Services District. Transportation officials could still permit right turns on red at certain intersections following an engineering and safety study. Emergency vehicles responding to emergencies would be exempt from the ban.
The city would also launch a public education campaign before full enforcement begins. During the first 90 days after implementation, Metro Council is requesting that officers issue warnings in most cases unless a violation contributes to a crash or creates an immediate danger to another roadway user.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@NewsChannel5.com
This is why I try to avoid driving or riding anyplace where stoplights exist. Unfortunately, despite a garden, critters, and a plethora of farmers markets, you still have to drive to the big city for bourbon or wine or a nice piece of salmon.
Idiots don’t care about rules.
Nothing wrong with right on red, but a lot of people dont seem to know that if the light is red, you still have to stop first.
4 way stops are another peeve of mine. WHO has the right of way? Whoever gets there first? What if no one knows who gets there first?
“Cops ticketing folks that don’t come to a full stop before turning would cut down on pedestrians getting hit, and would provide a financial windfall to the city.”
No it wouldn’t, because the people who do this generally don’t pay tickets either. Ironically, in many…urban…areas, it is very unwise to stop, period, regardless of your color or economic status. This is particularly true at night.
So, what are you supposed to do?
Check
Drivers up north were passive compared to the drivers in the South. I was lucky to get up to the speed limit from PA to MA and back.
Years ago only California had right turns on red
Here in Norfolk, banning right turn on red would make no more difference than the 55 mph speed limit on the freeway. NOBODY follows it, and if you drive 65 you still almost get run off of the road.
Maybe if they would stop first before turning right on red, this would decrease. Nashville has been overrun with people who can’t drive is the real problem.
What are turn signals?
The person on the right has the right of way.
Protecting yn’s on dirtbikes
Cmon man - I’m back and forth betweeen Georgia and DC a lot - everybody I see is driving 75 - 80.
You may need to get your car tuned up.
It might be furriners ...
Or it might be a certain home-grown demographic that tends to display a lack of self-control and personal responsibility.
He was probably still mad at you; you had the insufferable gall to GO STRAIGHT ...
This is not a mystery, and easily obtained by research. However ...
Right of way goes to:
1) First arrival.
2) If simultaneous arrival then:
2a) Through has priority over left turn (assuming arrival in opposing directions).
2b) Yield to the right (assuming arrival in cross directions)
Pay attention ... if you're not sure who arrived first, treat as simultaneous. USE YOUR TURN SIGNALS!!! If you have RoW, take it. Drive decisively, but not aggressively.
But seriously: Pay attention.
Only go to the 'hood to buy drugs in the mornings. Even then, stay away from the corner of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, and avoid Cesar Chavez Ave. completely.
Round-abouts?
Too right wing for Nashville!
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