The Scourge of the Flashing Yellow Light
Decatur Metro | November 6, 2007Born and raised north of the Mason-Dixon, I was brought up to believe in a few certain basic “truths”. Like that the tooth fairy would always leave money under my pillow, or that the Red Sox were forever-cursed by the sale of Babe Ruth in exchange for a crappy Broadway play, or that a yellow traffic signal meant “proceed with caution”. One by one, all of these wonderful fables have come crashing down upon me. First the tooth fairy refused my request for more than a quarter, then the Red Sox crushed the Cardinals in four games, and finally this morning I was nearly T-boned by a jacked-up Ford F-150 at the intersection of Hill St. and DeKalb Ave under a flashing yellow light.
How I long for the time when I could revel in my hatred of the Sox and believe that a flashing yellow meant “proceed with caution”. However, I will never experience these feelings again, because its no longer the 2004 post-season and because I live in Atlanta, Georgia.
In Atlanta, a flashing yellow to some means “do the courteous thing and stop for the poor souls stuck at the flashing red”, while to others it means “slip into the slipstream of the car in front of you and blow through the intersection”. While option 2 is certainly less safe, I would argue that its the well-mannered drivers in option 1 that really put paint jobs at risk.
Stopping at a flashing yellow light inadvertently makes it dangerous for those who are trying to obey the written law. Page 35 of Georgia’s Drivers manual states “a yellow flashing light means you must slow down and exercise caution before proceeding through the intersection”. Notice it says nothing about stopping. That is reserved for the flashing red light. “A red flashing light means you must stop completely then proceed with caution”.
If you still question my assertion, I pose this question. Why would DOT have two traffic signals (flashing yellow/flashing red) that mean the same thing? If they wanted a four-way stop wouldn’t they just flash red in all directions? …Did I just blow your mind?
Because Atlantans aren’t sure which rules other cars are following, everyone here is forced to participate in a poorly-choreographed “flashing yellow dance”. We approach the light with utmost caution. Starting to accelerate, then slamming on our brakes as two cars dart through a red in the other direction. The guy next to you goes, but you’re still trying to figure out what the heck that guy trying to turn left is going to do (you’re just amazed he’s used his signal). He starts his turn as two other cars pull into the intersection, nearly causing a three car wreck. People behind you blare their horns as you sit, indecisive, awaiting your fate. That’s when you notice the 18 wheeler that’s starting to take a wide-left in your direction…Then you blackout.
In good conscience, I cannot encourage anyone to coast through a flashing yellow in today’s Atlanta traffic because to do so would mean almost certain collision. On the roads today, you must always think on your feet (or your butt as the case may be) and live by whatever rules get you from A to B.
I just wish we could all settle on a rule, written or unwritten, and be done with it. Then I can get back to belting Kelly Clarkson from the top of my lungs.
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THANK YOU! I was actually just writing up a blog post for this very blog on this topic. This tendency of Atlanta drivers to not understand what a flashing yellow means causes huge back-ups in traffic. Flashing yellow lights are given to higher-priority roads because they have more traffic. The intention is that cars continue to drive without stopping when they encounter a flashing yellow light in order to keep traffic moving smoothly. But nobody remembers this, and everyone plays follow-the-leader and stops like the person in front of them, making a horrible traffic snare. Please, people. Flashing yellow means GO. You are not only creating a traffic mess but actually breaking the law if you stop at a flashing yellow.
Ha! Thanks for commenting on this post Benji! I wrote it quite a long time ago when this blog was quite young, so maybe now a few more people will give it a read and we can do a bit more to dispel the myth that flashing yellow means “stop”.
Reminds me of the “Keep Moving” signs at the malls. I don’t think “Keep Moving” in this case has ever actually meant “keep moving” to 99% of people who encounter the signs.
The same kind of thing happens at marked crosswalks. While I’m fully in favor of pedestrian right-of-way at crosswalks, it’s maddening to follow someone who doesn’t seem to understand that you only are required to stop if the crosswalk is occupied and comes to a full stop regardless. I guess their eyes can’t follow the paddle sign any further down than the little Stop sign to read the part where it says only if there’s someone in the crosswalk.
The stopping seems to be influenced by the phony southern manners idea, which is not only phony, but also absurd.
Please, for the sake of reasonable public decorum, just follow the f’n rules!
Atlantans stop at flashing yellow lights, but they see no need to pull over when an ambulance with flashing lights passes through. That’s not very mannerly now, is it?
Thank you for this. It solves an argument that my husband and I have every time he stops at a yellow light. I win!
AC–I have to disagree. I think Atlantans are really good about getting out of the way of ambulances/fire trucks. Have you ever been in DC when an ambulance comes through? Ridiculous!
I now stop at flashing yellow lights after I received a ticket for an accident while proceeding with caution through a flashing yellow light. I was told by the officer that I was supposed to stop. The driver that was coming from the right (whose light was blinking RED), came out into the intersection while I was slowly coming through the intersection. I hit her on the driver’s side of her car. I was also told that the light was broken. Maybe it was because the light was broken that I was supposed to stop. If I’m in an unfamiliar place, how am I supposed to know if the light is broken or if it normally blinks yellow? My insurance paid for her car, so I guess I was in the wrong.