Yellow Light runners

[TeeDub]

When did it become illegal to go through an intersection on a yellow light? 
(from the below article)
The red light runner fine is $200, yellow light runner is $150.


Tulsa's Police Department is pumping the brakes on red and yellow lights runner this week. It's part of a national initiative called "Stop on Red Week."  They will target busy intersections where statistics are high for red light runners, in an effort to prevent future deaths and injuries.

According to Tulsa Police, it only takes a few seconds to end an innocent life. Officer Craig Murray said he hopes this crackdown will open the eyes of drivers to see the real dangers of breaking this law.

"Don't risk yourself, your family, or someone else's family by trying to beat it (the light)," Murray said.

Allen Jenkins, father of four, said he always keeps a close eye on the road, for the sake of his family.

"I've seen lots of wrecks and lots of ambulances hauling people out there," Jenkins said.  "I just don't want that to be me or anybody I know."

Officer Murray said the goal this week is to make Tulsans more aware of the problems on the road.

"We have investigated a fatality where someone has ran a read light, and caused a death, it's happened - at least one person every year in the past five years," Murray said.  "That's just one and one too many."

"Stop on Red Week" runs August 1st thru August 7th.  The red light runner fine is $200, yellow light runner is $150.


http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Tulsa-Police-Stopping-Light-Runners/84Ow1TwV2UGDi71tocWq9A.cspx

[Danny]

as far as I know, it has always been illegal, just hardly ever enforced

[PepePeru]

it was my understanding its illegal to accelerate through a yellow light or accelerate to an intersection to make a yellow light.

i seem to remember a family member who got a ticket for something like that.

[cannon_fodder]

Yellow Light: Steady—Warning! The light is about to turn red! You
must stop if you can stop safely before entering the crosswalk at the
intersection. Adjust your speed as you approach so that you can come
to a smooth stop if needed. Don't speed up to beat the light. Enter the
intersection carefully. Collisions often happen here.

Oklahoma Department of Motor Vehicles driving Manual (page 5-11).

Running a yellow light is a moving violation.  However, it can be a judgment call.  The requirement is that if you can "safely stop" you do so.  Thus, the officer can be in the precarious situation of telling you how well your car is able to stop safely.  Bearing in mind that if you squeal your tires in your attempt to stop you have failed to maintain control of your vehicle/driven recklessly. 

A good law to have on the books.  Actually "running" a yellow light is dangerous as that is the time traffic is supposed to clear from the intersection.  But like an "illegal left turn" it can also be used to hand out tickets nearly at will.

Frankly, if you follow someone long enough you can give them a ticket.  That applies to officers as much as anyone else, on duty or not.  All we can do is hope the power is not abused too much for personal or fund raising purposes.

[brianh]

A person I know got a ticket for this many years ago. He stated the officer said the rule of thumb is that if you cross on a yellow light, you need to be out of the intersection before the light turns red.

[TUalum0982]

A person I know got a ticket for this many years ago. He stated the officer said the rule of thumb is that if you cross on a yellow light, you need to be out of the intersection before the light turns red.

+1.  I was going to type the exact same thing.  I have asked this question to many Tulsa Police officers and they all told me the exact same thing.  The reason I ask, is because it happened to me with my dad in the car, and I was cited for running a red light, when I was clearly through the intersection before it turned red.  Once again, I guess it goes back to officers discretion and what kind of day they are having and the mood they are in. 

[patric]

All we can do is hope the power is not abused too much for personal or fund raising purposes.

Tulsa was among the list of cities criticized for having a shorter-than-normal yellow light interval.
Some say it is to better synchronize lights, others say it is for revenue.
But were not alone:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123975737976619187.html

Recommended yellow-light durations:
http://www.shortyellowlights.com/standards/

[nathanm]

It's only a real safety issue (proceeding on a yellow) here because of the lack of a red-green interval between directions at many lights. (read: all of them downtown and many in midtown)

Best practice is a second between one direction turning red and the other turning green.

[Ed W]

What's the usual interval for a yellow light?  Two seconds?  Three?

I ask because when you consider our reaction times, a two second interval may be too short.  Couple short intervals with reaction time and driving in excess of the speed limit, and you get a whole lot of red light runners.

But then if the speed limit city wide were lowered to 25 mph, we wouldn't have these problems.  (snicker)

[nathanm]

What's the usual interval for a yellow light?  Two seconds?  Three?

It's supposed to be based on the 85th percentile speed of traffic on the road. (as is the speed limit)

Slower roads get shorter yellow intervals, essentially.

[Wilbur]

A person I know got a ticket for this many years ago. He stated the officer said the rule of thumb is that if you cross on a yellow light, you need to be out of the intersection before the light turns red.

That is exactly correct.  You may enter the intersection on a yellow light, but your car must clear the intersection before it turns red.  If it does not, then that is a yellow light violation.  A red light ticket is when the light turns red before your car enters the intersection.  Many officers lower it to a yellow light citation because of the cost.

You can also get a ticket for running a green light.  I have seen it done a couple times and usually only applies to collisions.

[Townsend]

You can also get a ticket for running a green light.  I have seen it done a couple times and usually only applies to collisions.

And I scratch my head and wait for an explanation.

[nathanm]

And I scratch my head and wait for an explanation.

You are running a green light if you fail to wait for the intersection to clear of traffic before proceeding.

Apparently Oklahoma has a pretty stupid traffic law as it relates to yellow lights, however. If people were more aware of it, I'm certain there would be more rear end collisions when people stop abruptly when the light turns yellow as they approach the intersection.

The law should be about clearing the intersection safely, regardless of whether the driver entered on yellow or green.

[Red Arrow]

Different city, different time, same (stupid) interpretation of yellow light.

In the 60s, my Uncle was attending college in Phila, PA (commuting by car from NJ). One particular intersection was frequently controlled by a traffic cop.  He would wait until it was impossible to stop and switch the light to yellow, then quickly to red.  His buddies a block downstream would then ticket the unfortunate driver for running a red light.  My uncle got caught (entrapped) and went to court.  It was explained to him that yellow was STOP.  A few days later the same cop pulled the same stunt.  My uncle screached to a stop in the middle of the intersection.  The cop came over to read my uncle the riot act, until he recognized him and was reminded of the previous incident and explanation of the law.  This time my uncle was "let go".  Fortunately, no one was behind him during the quick stop.

[Ed W]

DC hired a private company to install traffic signal cameras.  The deal included a percentage of traffic fines paid to the company, so they shortened the yellow light interval and drove up the number of violations, pocketing a nice profit until the scam was investigated.

It was a fine example of the success of privatization (not).