Should a person be issued a traffic ticket for going through a yellow light?

Brandi C

It depends on what state you are in as to the traffic code regarding yellow lights.

For example, in California the traffic code states that if you can safely proceed through a yellow light before it turns red, you may do so. People in California rarely get tickets for running yellow lights.

In Oregon, the traffic code says that if you can safely stop when the light turns yellow you MUST stop. Instead of stopping, people hurry to get through the light. So drivers in Oregon get a lot of tickets for running yellow lights because they could have stopped, but didn't.

tonalc2

Some states make it illegal to go through a yellow light.

Lt1

Yellow means proceed with caution. What is written on the ticket?

I'm guessing it was "stale yellow" when he started and red when he went through.

mikeysco

Despite everything you've read here so far, a person CAN get a ticket for running a yellow light if doing so is illegal in the state you're asking this question about. You didn't say what state that is, so it's not possible to answer your question.

Whether or not they SHOULD get a ticket if running a yellow light is illegal where you are is something nobody here can answer.

I don't know how you obtained your information that the light was yellow when your husband ran it, but I've heard that from an awful lot of people I've written red light tickets to. Could be he thinks it was yellow when perhaps it was not.

DOOM

It's illegal to enter an intersection on a yellow light. It's more illegal, however, to block an intersection, so you may proceed if you cannot stop before the light turns red. if the light turned red while he was in the intersection, he had enough time to stop.

In answer to your question: I don't think you should be issued a ticket for entering on a yellow, but I don't make laws.

Rock Firestorm

It wasn't yellow. At anytime your car is still in the intersection when it turns red, that's running a red light. So if his back tires were just crossing the second crosswalk, it's a ticket. Yellow means slow down prepare to stop, not speed up and try and get through.

PS - the person at the bottom with my name is my stalker. Please hit report abuse on him. THAT IS NOT ME.

Rock Firestorm

Your husband is a criminal and should be thrown in prison for driving through that yellow light. He is very lucky it wasn't me that caught him because I would have thrown him to the ground violated his rights, and then charged him with resisting arrest, and assaulting an officer.

chill out

I am sure all states have different wording regarding their traffic laws, but for the most part, they are usually quite similar. As a police officer for more than 20 years, I have never written anyone a ticket for running a yellow light. That isn't to say that I couldn't.

An excerpt of the Michigan law says: "If the signal exhibits a steady yellow indication, vehicular traffic facing the signal shall stop before entering the nearest crosswalk at the intersection or at a limit line when marked, but if the stop cannot be made in safety, a vehicle may be driven cautiously through the intersection."

Where I work, there is a very high traffic volume. Finding someone who runs a red light is a dime a dozen so I really don't need to look too hard for someone violating a traffic law. I don't feel the need to waste my time writing the yellow light violators when there are so many other violators for me to write.

It may be worth bringing it before a court, but I would look up your local state law regarding yellow lights prior to a court hearing. It may be necessary for him to show the court that he was not able to stop safely and therefore needed to cross on the yellow.

John

No, he should not have. He also should have told the cop to PROVE that he went through a red light. That is hard to prove and many are thrown out when there are no cameras on it.

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