Question

[BigShell]

Years ago I asked an LEO friend about this. Don't know if things have changed or not, but he told me if you legally enter the intersection (and you can enter on a yellow/amber light) then you must exit the intersection as quickly as safety permits... does not matter what color the light is once in the intersection as long as you entered it legally. As for me, when the light turns yellow, if I can safely stop, I stop, else I go on. Haven't had a stop light ticket yet.

[Reshired]

Any one remember the quote in the movie Starman?

Green means go

Yellow means Go faster

[BradT]

As an aside, it never ceases to amaze me the number of folks who continue to drive their cars after a claimed total brake failure...

 

I did but it was an old Pontiac with 4 wheel drum brakes and I tried stopping it at 80 MPH, there was nothing there ran right thru the intersection and never hit anything. Brake Fade !

 

It has always been my understanding that you could not cross the traffic stop line once the turn signal has turned Amber. Surprised to hear that one can be ticketed for getting caught in the intersection when the light turns red. That makes sense though if the function of the amber is to give traffic already in the intersection time to clear before the light turns red.

 

It was my understanding that you are not allowed to enter the intersction and sit out in the open while turning left Even on the green. (i know everyone does it). I was once told that you are not allowed in the intersection untill the way is clear or you have the right away.

 

The reason was because you could be in the intersection when the light turns red waiting for the cars travelling through the yellow. By waiting for the red you are in fact impeding traffic.

 

Not sure there was any truth to it.

 

Brad

[cmiles3]

No. For all legal purposes, a yellow light is the same as a red light. If you enter the intersection on yellow, you failed to obey a traffic control device. I you have an accident there, you'll get a ticket.

 

For all the yellow light runners, a lot of intersections have gone to 4 way red for a short period to replace the safety period a yellow light provides.

 

No arguement on that one. But the question is, can you enter the intersection on an amber light?

[sarges46]

To me the yellow means "Clear the intersection" cause the guys going the other way are going to start moving!

 

If you are turning left....be very careful in Manitoba...specially Winnipeg....I once counted seven cars going straight through after the light turned yellow then red.

 

We have had several bad accidents in Brandon (including fatals) because some of the country folk sort of panic and tried to complete their turn without waiting for the oncoming cars to stop.

 

I tell our daughter this about the lights and crosswalks......it doesnt matter what color the light is for you....make sure that everything is stopped for you before setting foot on the road. Same goes for driving...me thinks.

 

You can stop and be right.....you could also be dead right.

 

Careful out there.