Waiting for Green Has Gas-Conscious Seeing Red

Needless idling in turn lanes irks Calif. drivers
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 11, 2008 4:26 PM CDT
Waiting for Green Has Gas-Conscious Seeing Red
Traffic is backed up on the northbound 5 Freeway Saturday, Oct. 13, 2007, in Santa Clarita, Calif.   (AP Photo/Phil McCarten)

Though their safety value in heavy traffic isn't disputed, some Californians are starting to see left-turn arrows as a drag on ever-pricier gas and an avoidable threat to the environment, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports. The California Energy Commission estimates that idling for 2 minutes (often a needless waste of time, some say) uses the same amount of fuel as driving 1 mile. (More traffic stories.)

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