This lazy driver thinks he’s being slick, but he’s just recklessly violating multiple rules of the road instead.
Salinas-area driver and Redditor /u/Macho-Man-Randy shared headshaking dashcam footage from this busy intersection from earlier in January (Jan 22, 2026) to the /r/IdiotsInCars subreddit showing one lazy driver attempting their usual “slick” move to avoid a red light, only to end up breaking multiple rules of the road instead.
Check out the dashcam footage embedded below with the original Reddit thread linked here.
The incident happened at the intersection of Independence Blvd. and Constitution Blvd. (Exact location on Google Maps linked here.)
As the dashcam shows, OP is stopped at the aforementioned intersection headed southbound on Independence.
Suddenly, a driver in an Acura TL in front of him does one weird traffic maneuver by turning right and driving through a crosswalk before going straight again, all to avoid a red light.
Their usual lazy move was to turn right, make a U-turn, and turn right again, but there’s a concrete median down the center of Constitution.
This is a classic illegal driving maneuver that, if done legally, involves a legal U-turn down the road followed by a right on red.
However, these idiots truncate it within a 100-foot radius, making the entire maneuver illegal.
As /u/Word1_Word2_4Numbers points out,
- They didn’t signal for the first right on red.
- They didn’t signal for the U-turn.
- The U-turn is illegal.
- They didn’t signal for the second right on red.
- They didn’t come to a complete stop for the second right on red.
- They bypassed a traffic control device.
“Why even bother swerving?” /u/Meta_Merchant commented, as well as OP in the title.
“Because in their little squirrel brain, they legally turned onto the other road and made a legal U-turn to then make a legal turn back onto the previous road,” /u/Frank_Meat_Tongz also explained.
In California, it’s illegal for a driver to disobey or avoid a lawfully installed traffic control device like a red light or stop sign — doing so can be cited as a traffic infraction under Vehicle Code § 21461a and related rules that require motorists to obey official signals and signs. (shouselaw.com) Running a red light or entering an intersection/crosswalk against the signal can result in fines and DMV points. (rubinlawpc.com) Source: California Vehicle Code traffic control device and signal laws.
