The impatient driver risked an accident and multiple tickets just to save a couple of seconds.
A Contra Costa County-area driver and Redditor /u/Tibierius_Jim shared head-shaking dashcam footage from earlier in October (Oct 27, 2026) to the /r/IdiotsInCars subreddit, showing an impatient driver disregarding yield-on-green signage and risking an accident and multiple tickets to save a couple of seconds.
Here’s how it played out below with the original Reddit thread linked here.
The incident happened at the intersectino of Crescent Dr. and Crescent Plaza in Pleasant Hill (Exact location on Google Maps linked here.)
As the dashcam shows, OP is pointed west on Crescent Plaza, lined up behind a driver in a white Toyota RAV-4 ready to turn left onto Crescent Dr.
OP zooms in on two signs informing drivers to yield to traffic going straight when they get the green light to turn.
Despite this, the driver is impatient and creeps past the limit line before they even get the green light, effectively running a red.
Then, when they do get the green to turn, the driver just goes, refusing to yield despite traffic fast approaching.
The RAV-4 driver slams on the brakes to avoid a head-on and lets one car slip by, and that was only because they would’ve been in an accident if they hadn’t.
The RAV-4 driver completes their turn, despite not having the right of way, without further incident.
As pointed out by OP in the comments, keen eyes noticed that, if he hadn’t been forced to yield, he easily could’ve run into a group of children crossing.
“Our traffic lights for left turns at an intersection flash yellow while oncoming traffic has a green light. It turns to a green arrow when oncoming traffic gets a red. You still have to watch out for idiots, though,” one of the top commentts from /u/ComputerEcstatic1227 reads.
“If you’re gonna pull a Pittsburgh left, you gotta commit to it,” /u/Bloated_Hamster cmmented.
“The way he kept scooching up I expected him to punch it the millisecond the light turned green, but he hesitated…and then still went. For the sake of those kids in the crosswalk, I’m glad he didn’t punch it,” OP replied.
In Pleasant Hill, running a straight red light carries a base fine of $100, while refusing to yield to cross traffic carries a base fine of $238. However, once California’s state and local penalty assessments are added, the total cost for each individual violation often inflates to over $400 to $500. Both moving violations will also add 1 point each to your California DMV driving record, which can increase your insurance rates unless you are eligible to hide them by completing traffic school.
