In an effort to prevent pedestrian and cyclist deaths, more North American cities are contemplating imitating Montreal by banning drivers from turning right on red lights.
But despite decades of debate, even traffic safety advocates who favour the ban say there's a lack of reliable data proving the measure improves safety.
Toronto also debated imposing a blanket ban on right turns on red (RTOR) as part of its Vision Zero strategy, which aims to eliminate pedestrian and cyclist deaths, but opted instead to implement the measure only at selected intersections.
The city "found there would be a potential safety benefit at some locations, but that at other locations, introducing RTOR prohibitions may result in less safe conditions for people walking and cycling," the city's media relations department said in an email.