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That's not the law in California. It is perfectly legal to be within an intersection when the light turns red. It's only illegal to enter an intersection while

That's not the law in California. It is perfectly legal to be within an intersection when the light turns red. It's only illegal to enter an intersection while the light is red. Source 1: California Driver Handbook http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/traff_lgts_sgns.htm http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/traff_lgts_sgns.htm - - - Solid Yellow – A yellow signal light means "CAUTION." The red signal is about to appear. When you see the yellow light, stop if you can do so safely. If you cannot stop safely, cross the intersection cautiously. - - - The "stop if you can do so safely" wording is safety advice, and sound advice too. But it's not a statement of law. Source 2: California Vehicle Code http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=veh&group=21001-22000&file=21450-21468 http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=veh&gr... - - - 21452. (a) A driver facing a steady circular yellow or yellow arrow signal is, by that signal, warned that the related green movement is ending or that a red indication will be shown immediately thereafter. 21453. (a) A driver facing a steady circular red signal alone shall stop at a marked limit line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection, and shall remain stopped until an indication to proceed is shown, except as provided in subdivision (b). - - - Note that the yellow light is described only as a warning, with no mention of it being illegal to enter the intersection while the light is yellow. And there is no mention of it being illegal to be inside the intersection when the light turns red, only that you can't enter on a red light. I can't speak for other states, but I suspect that the laws in many of them are similar.

icehawk219 12y ago
Thank you for the correction. I'm in NJ and remember my instructor going out of his way to mention that it was illegal to be in the intersection when red. However upon investigation I can't actually find anything to back this up now. It would appear I may have been operating under false information all these years.
- Stratoscope 12y ago
  I guess that's not an unreasonable thing for a driving instructor to say, since even if it's not quite true, it does no harm to believe it and may well help someone err on the side of safety. I had a similar misunderstanding myself until recently. I'd read the wording in the driver handbook and thought that the bit about "if you can stop safely" was the actual law rather than safety advice. It was much later that I got curious and looked into it a little further.
  - k1t 12y ago
    It's not quite as clear as that, the California Driver's Handbook states: "Do not enter the intersection if you cannot get completely across before the light turns red. If you block the intersection, you can be cited." [0] You might think this is only referencing situations where you are stopped in the intersection (i.e. blocking it) but there is no reference to speed here. There's a question on the test: [1] Q: It is against the law to enter an intersection when: A 1: You can't get all the way across before the light turns red A 2: The light is flashing yellow and you didn't stop first A 3: The light is yellow and you can stop safely The correct answer is 1. So, when viewed by a normal person, you may assume that this only applies if you're forced to stop in the intersection (and therefore block it), but neither the driver's handbook, nor the test itself (sorry my link is just an unofficial practice test, but it's on the real thing too) make any reference to speed. Therefore I think it's absolutely reasonable for your "instructor going out of his way to mention that it was illegal to be in the intersection when red" [GP] I haven't looked up the actual law to see if the wording makes it OK to be in an intersection with the light red, providing you entered legally (yellow/green) and have a clear exit path - but I'm guessing it does not. [0] http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/traff_lgts_sgns.htm http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/traff_lgts_sgns.htm [1] http://www.elitedrivertrainingservices.com/tests/AdultPracticeTest_1.pdf http://www.elitedrivertrainingservices.com/tests/AdultPracti... (Q10)
    - Stratoscope 12y ago
      Fortunately you can't be cited for violating a private company's example test question! :-) If you block an intersection because there isn't room on the far side, you'd be cited under section 22526 of Chapter 9, Stopping, Standing, and Parking: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=22526 http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.... - - - 22526 (a): Notwithstanding any official traffic control signal indication to proceed, a driver of a vehicle shall not enter an intersection or marked crosswalk unless there is sufficient space on the other side of the intersection or marked crosswalk to accommodate the vehicle driven without obstructing the through passage of vehicles from either side. - - - This section is known as the Anti-Gridlock Act of 1987. The reason this had to be enacted was that it was never illegal to be in an intersection when the light turned red. If that were illegal, then officers would already have a section number to cite you under. They didn't, so this law gave them one. Besides that, the only other relevant sections I could find are the ones I quoted in my previous comment. Here's another link in a newer format: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&division=11.&title=&part=&chapter=2.&article=3 http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xh.... The rest of the Vehicle Code can be found through a link on this page: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes.xhtml http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes.xhtml

icehawk219 12y ago

Thank you for the correction. I'm in NJ and remember my instructor going out of his way to mention that it was illegal to be in the intersection when red. However upon investigation I can't actually find anything to back this up now. It would appear I may have been operating under false information all these years.

Stratoscope 12y ago
I guess that's not an unreasonable thing for a driving instructor to say, since even if it's not quite true, it does no harm to believe it and may well help someone err on the side of safety. I had a similar misunderstanding myself until recently. I'd read the wording in the driver handbook and thought that the bit about "if you can stop safely" was the actual law rather than safety advice. It was much later that I got curious and looked into it a little further.
- k1t 12y ago
  It's not quite as clear as that, the California Driver's Handbook states: "Do not enter the intersection if you cannot get completely across before the light turns red. If you block the intersection, you can be cited." [0] You might think this is only referencing situations where you are stopped in the intersection (i.e. blocking it) but there is no reference to speed here. There's a question on the test: [1] Q: It is against the law to enter an intersection when: A 1: You can't get all the way across before the light turns red A 2: The light is flashing yellow and you didn't stop first A 3: The light is yellow and you can stop safely The correct answer is 1. So, when viewed by a normal person, you may assume that this only applies if you're forced to stop in the intersection (and therefore block it), but neither the driver's handbook, nor the test itself (sorry my link is just an unofficial practice test, but it's on the real thing too) make any reference to speed. Therefore I think it's absolutely reasonable for your "instructor going out of his way to mention that it was illegal to be in the intersection when red" [GP] I haven't looked up the actual law to see if the wording makes it OK to be in an intersection with the light red, providing you entered legally (yellow/green) and have a clear exit path - but I'm guessing it does not. [0] http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/traff_lgts_sgns.htm http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/traff_lgts_sgns.htm [1] http://www.elitedrivertrainingservices.com/tests/AdultPracticeTest_1.pdf http://www.elitedrivertrainingservices.com/tests/AdultPracti... (Q10)
  - Stratoscope 12y ago
    Fortunately you can't be cited for violating a private company's example test question! :-) If you block an intersection because there isn't room on the far side, you'd be cited under section 22526 of Chapter 9, Stopping, Standing, and Parking: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=22526 http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.... - - - 22526 (a): Notwithstanding any official traffic control signal indication to proceed, a driver of a vehicle shall not enter an intersection or marked crosswalk unless there is sufficient space on the other side of the intersection or marked crosswalk to accommodate the vehicle driven without obstructing the through passage of vehicles from either side. - - - This section is known as the Anti-Gridlock Act of 1987. The reason this had to be enacted was that it was never illegal to be in an intersection when the light turned red. If that were illegal, then officers would already have a section number to cite you under. They didn't, so this law gave them one. Besides that, the only other relevant sections I could find are the ones I quoted in my previous comment. Here's another link in a newer format: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&division=11.&title=&part=&chapter=2.&article=3 http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xh.... The rest of the Vehicle Code can be found through a link on this page: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes.xhtml http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes.xhtml