News 6 traffic safety expert Trooper Steve Montiero answers viewer questions about the rules of the road, helping Orlando-area residents become better drivers by being better educated.
A News 6 viewer recently submitted this question, “Are you required to make a left turn when the light is flashing yellow?”
It’s one of the newest things in the traffic signaling world, the flashing yellow left arrow. This was designed so that if there was no oncoming traffic and you were attempting to make a left turn you would be allowed to do it after yielding to any oncoming traffic.
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This eliminates any additional traffic back up that would normally happen on a red left arrow. With all that said we have to take in mind that this is a yield and not a stop. The flashing yellow light intends to eliminate traffic by allowing traffic to make that left turn. Sitting there because you choose to sit there would result in impeding the flow of traffic.
This is a completely different scenario than wanting to make a right on a red light. You are not required to make a right on red because that light is red. This is different when making the left-hand turn because it is a yield and not a stop.
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