Red light vs. red arrow Whether you can turn at a red light all boils down to what the traffic sign displays, not necessarily the color of it, according to California law .

“When encountering a left turn arrow, it is to be treated as a red light.” The reason it’s an arrow is because it designates the direction you’re traveling, he added.

For Lincoln drivers who have questioned whether they can turn right or left on a red arrow (and perhaps decided it was OK to go ahead), state law just clarified the answer: No, you can’t. That ...