What To Do When You Encounter Flashing Or Solid Yellow Traffic Lights

Fun fact: traffic lights are way older than cars, and alongside road signs, they are one of the most common ways of traffic signalization, designed to be as easy-to-read and respond to as possible. One of the most important is the yellow traffic light – on the whole, it always means proceed through with caution and keep an eye out. This color is well-suited for such service because it's actually considered to be one of the most visible colors to the human eye. Specifically, a study by Iowa State University determined that a yellowish-green color is the most visible under normal lighting conditions and at wide angles, compared to standard black-and-white fare.

When you encounter flashing or solid yellow traffic lights, it's important to slow down, exercise caution, pay special attention to any signs they may be attached to (particularly in school zones), and be sure to give right-of-way to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. Let's dig into specific examples.

When you encounter a flashing yellow light, it could be due to a myriad of reasons, such as a tricky turn up ahead or an intersection where cross traffic doesn't have the best visibility. It's best to wait until you're clear before increasing speed. The yellow light could also be attached to a school zone sign and instruct drivers to reduce their speed to as little as 15 mph. If you're turning, whether it's a flashing yellow circle or arrow, always yield to oncoming traffic that has the right of way, as well as pedestrians. When it's an arrow, it's when you're in a left-turn lane. Interestingly, studies have shown that people make left turns safer when the yellow arrow is flashing, as opposed to solid green, then solid yellow, followed by solid red.  Meanwhile, a flashing red circle means come to a complete stop and then proceed.

Speaking of solid yellow in either arrow or circle form — that's a different scenario. This means the light is three to five seconds away from turning to a solid red, which we all (hopefully) know means stop if it is safe to do so. Additionally, be a good motorist and don't treat a solid yellow as an excuse to floor the throttle and rip through the intersection with reckless abandon. Oh, and if you do stop and are at the front, avoid doing stoplights wrong and pull all the way up. The main thing to do when encountering a flashing or solid yellow traffic light is to exercise extra caution; reduce your speed, keep an eye out, yield to pedestrians and oncoming traffic, and get home safely.