Final answer:
The correct action when faced with a red arrow at an intersection is to come to a full legal stop and then proceed when safe. Traffic signals are vital for safety, facilitating orderly movement for vehicles and pedestrians alike. In urgent situations, such as a medical emergency, extreme caution should be used if traffic laws are to be navigated against. So, the correct answer is option b.
Step-by-step explanation:
When turning left at an intersection with a red arrow sign, the correct action to take is: b) come to a full legal stop, then continue when it is safe. This rule is in place because a red arrow indicates that turning traffic must stop and cannot proceed until the signal changes to a permissive state (green or flashing yellow arrow). This traffic rule is essential to ensure safety for all road users, including pedestrians and oncoming traffic.
In emergencies, such as with a pregnant woman in active labor in your vehicle, it is important to proceed with utmost caution. If you must break a traffic rule for the sake of emergency, it should be done by carefully assessing the situation, on an empty road at 4 am, to minimize the risk while maximizing the utility of getting to the hospital safely and quickly. However, this action still technically violates traffic laws, so it should be done with careful consideration of the safety of all possible road users.
Traffic signals are also crucial for pedestrian safety at intersections. Pedestrian safety would improve as a traffic signal would regulate when they can cross, preventing them from having to dodge traffic, which can be especially dangerous in areas of high pedestrian activity, such as near campuses.
So, the correct answer is option b.