Q. On Division Street (East Greenwich) at the I-95 northbound access road, there is a traffic light to allow eastbound cars to make a left turn onto that access road. The light turns red for westbound Division Street traffic even though there are no cars headed east to make the aforementioned left turn. Can something be done to correct the situation?

A. Field research at the Division Street intersection you mention tells us that the pavement detector that triggers the traffic signal in the left-turn lane is broken. When a break in the system occurs, the traffic signal controllers are designed to go into a fail-safe mode. In this mode, the system is set to continually think a vehicle is waiting to cross the intersection to ensure service despite the missing detector data. Under these conditions, whenever there is a gap in westbound traffic the signal will switch to the left-turn phase.

Between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. and after 6 p.m., westbound traffic may experience almost 30 seconds of delay while waiting for a green signal. This is a consequence of the broken detector.

During the commuter peaks between 7 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., and 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., the operation of this signal is coordinated with the two signals to the west of it (the Route 4 South off-ramp and the East Greenwich Square Showcase Cinemas signals). The delays to westbound vehicles during the commuter peaks are longer, but that is due to the coordinated operation not the broken detector.

Unfortunately, the signal will continue to operate in fail-safe mode until the pavement is repaired and the broken detector is replaced. This problem has been noted by our Traffic section and will be placed on the future repairs list.

Don’t turn left

Q. I have a question about the intersection of Coddington Highway at West Main Road in Middletown. When you approach the light at West Main Road from Coddington Highway drivers turn left from both lanes even though the road continues straight through the intersection. It seems that this would be illegal without some sort of signage indicating otherwise. There are no signs or road arrows.

A. RIDOT’s Traffic Engineers investigated your concerns and have reported that you are correct: motorists should not be making a left turn onto West Main Road from the right turn lane of Coddington Highway in Middletown. Drivers are simply not following the rules of the road.

Although we appreciate your suggestion for a sign, it is not warranted in this instance. The Department typically does not sign for driver behavior.

Rather than adding a sign, might we suggest that those who are making the illegal left turn, brush up on the following Rhode Island General Law 31-16-2, Manner of turning at intersection for left turns on two-way roadways.

“At any intersection where traffic is permitted to move in both directions on each roadway entering the intersections, an approach for a left turn shall be made in that portion of the right half of the roadway nearest the center line of it and by passing to the right of the center line where it enters the intersection, and, after entering the intersection, the left turn shall be made so as to leave the intersection to the right of the center line of the roadway being entered. Whenever practicable the left turn shall be made in that portion of the intersection to the left of the center of the intersection.”

Dana Alexander Nolfe, chief public affairs officer for the state Department of Transportation, has agreed to answer questions of general interest posed by Journal readers about state roads and other state transportation matters.

The DOT is responsible for the state’s transportation infrastructure, which includes highways, bridges, traffic signals and bikeways.

To ask a question that would also be of interest to other readers, send a letter to Ask RIDOT, Features Department, The Providence Journal, 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902. You can also e-mail your question to projocars@projo.com. Please put “Question for the DOT” in the subject field.

Questions or complaints of a specific nature should be posed to the DOT directly and will not be answered in this column.