Yellow Lights and Traffic Law

Knowledge is power and understanding the traffic laws helps avoid traffic tickets. Know how to deal with yellow lights? This article discusses the law regarding traffic and yellow lights.

Steady Yellow Lights

A steady yellow means a solid yellow light, as opposed to a blinking yellow light. When you come to an intersection with a steady yellow light you are supposed to stop if you stop safely. However, you may go through the intersection cautiously if you are unable to stop safely.

The exact language of the law reads, “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.” MCL 257.612

What About Blinking Yellow Lights?

You may drive through an intersection on a blinking yellow light. The law indicates you should proceed with caution, but you may proceed without stopping as if on a steady yellow.

The exact language of the law reads, “Flashing yellow (caution signal). When a yellow lens is illuminated with rapid intermittent flashes, drivers of vehicles may proceed through the intersection or past the signal only with caution.” MCL 257.614

Civil Infractions for Violations

Violations of either statute would be a civil infraction. A civil infraction, commonly referred to as a traffic ticket, is not a crime. A civil infraction could result in a fine, points on your driving record, and could be seen by insurance crime. A violation of a yellow light rule is often called “disobeying a traffic control device.”

Contact Us

At ArborYpsi Law we help people with their traffic tickets all the time. Ask what we can do for you before admitting responsibility and paying for the ticket. When you hire an attorney for a traffic ticket, you do not need to attend court – the attorney can attend court on your behalf.

Traffic Law and DUI Law

Understanding DUI law requires an understanding of the traffic laws. Cops do not know a person may be intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol until the cop has pulled the person over and gotten a look at them. A traffic violation or civil infraction provide the police with grounds to pull a driver over, and from there the police investigate whether the driver has been drinking. One way to fight a DUI is to challenge the legality of the reason the police stopped a driver.

Contact ArborYpsi Law

Call Sam Bernstein at 734-883-9584 or e-mail at bernstein@arborypsilaw.com.

Sam Bernstein is a criminal defense and drunk driving attorney in Washtenaw County.

ArborYpsi Law is located at 2750 Carpenter Rd #2, Ann Arbor, MI 48108.

To Read More Articles on Traffic and OWI Law

• ArborYpsi Law Blog
• Ypsilanti Criminal Lawyer
• What To Do When Pulled Over for an OWI
• OWI and your Driver’s License
• How To Get Your License Back

Our Traffic Ticket Practice

ArborYpsi Law focuses on criminal defense and traffic laws. Helping people fight traffic tickets is a large part of our practice. Every week we are in courts in Wasthenaw County and metro Detroit on behalf of people just like you. Though based in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, we regularly appear in Courts such as Romulus, Plymouth, Westland, and Livonia. Read more about our practice regarding drunk driving law and criminal defense.

Call us at 734-883-9584 to speak with a traffic ticket lawyer in Ann Arbor