How should you react to a yellow traffic signal?

How should you react to a yellow traffic signal?

• A. Speed up to beat the signal.
• B. Ignore the signal and continue.
• C. Slow down and stop if you can do so safely; proceed cautiously if stopping is unsafe.
• D. Stop only if there is a red light.

Answer: (C)

Yellow means prepare to stop. It warns that the light is about to turn red, so you should slow down and stop if you can do so safely. If stopping safely isn’t possible—because you’re too close to the intersection or stopping would cause a dangerous situation—continue through with caution and be ready to stop as soon as you safely can when the red appears. The other options push you into dangerous or illegal behavior: speeding up to beat the red can cause you to run a red light; ignoring the signal endangers everyone; waiting for red ignores the warning and can trap you in the intersection.

Yellow means prepare to stop. It warns that the light is about to turn red, so you should slow down and stop if you can do so safely. If stopping safely isn’t possible—because you’re too close to the intersection or stopping would cause a dangerous situation—continue through with caution and be ready to stop as soon as you safely can when the red appears. The other options push you into dangerous or illegal behavior: speeding up to beat the red can cause you to run a red light; ignoring the signal endangers everyone; waiting for red ignores the warning and can trap you in the intersection.