so a cop once told me as long as your car has entered the intersection when the light turns red, it isnt running a red light. is this true and where can i find more info?

i tried looking at ncdot and a few other places for well-defined traffic laws with no luck.

12/7/2005 7:44:15 PM

Yeah, it's true. If you cross the white line while the light is yellow, it's not running the red light.

12/7/2005 7:45:45 PM

Interesting. I always thought that still qualified as running a red light.

12/7/2005 7:46:40 PM

you were always wrong

12/7/2005 7:51:45 PM

i'd like some proof to back this up if possible

otherwise it is just more hearsay.

i am trying to convince someone, and if he wont believe what i heard from a cop he wont believe you guys. need to see it in writing if possible.

12/7/2005 7:54:08 PM

as I understand it...
Once the light turns yellow, you're supposed to stop if you can. If you don't but could have, then the cop can give you a ticket.

12/7/2005 8:01:35 PM

wow didnt know that

the entire car has to cross the white line to count?

12/7/2005 8:02:19 PM

As long as you have entered the intersection you are fine. Of course, that is unless the cop saw it differently.

Some states/cities have anti-gridlock laws, which mean you must be able to clear the intersection. North Carolina is not one of them.

12/7/2005 8:02:31 PM

A quick search turned this up...

http://www.ci.knightdale.nc.us/government/safelight.htm

That list is also on the city of Greensboro's website, so I would think it's legitimate. It doesn't say anything about ability to stop when the light is yellow, so maybe a cop could still get you for that, but apparently you're legally okay if you enter the intersection before it turns red.

12/7/2005 8:06:26 PM

wow, this is common sense, yellow is caution red is stop, its not like youre gonna stop in the middle of the intersection

12/7/2005 8:12:24 PM

Quote :

"§ 20-158. Vehicle control signs and signals. (2) Approaching with traffic signal traffic signal the approaching a. When a steady or strobe beam stoplight is emitting a red light controlling traffic passing through an intersection, an approaching vehicle facing the red light shall come to a stop and shall not enter the intersection. After coming to a complete stop and unless prohibited by an appropriate sign, that approaching vehicle may make a right turn."

12/7/2005 8:12:31 PM

^^idiot, it could very well be the case. lights are designed so that if you are going the posted speed limit you would never be in the intersection when the light is red. nobody is saying anyone would stop in the middle of hte intersection.

12/7/2005 8:21:56 PM

Quote :

"your car has entered the intersection when the light turns red,"

WELCOME TO THE INTERNET

12/7/2005 8:39:06 PM

if you're traveling too fast to stop (maybe its raining), then even if you're under the speed limit you can be ticketed for reckless driving

[Edited on December 7, 2005 at 8:40 PM. Reason : s]

12/7/2005 8:40:01 PM

I never knew that.

So it's cool to pull into the middle of the intersection and park? SWEET!

12/7/2005 8:43:49 PM

no, if you have to stop in the middle of the intersection, that means you were going too fast, given current road conditions, to start with.

[Edited on December 7, 2005 at 10:05 PM. Reason : s]

12/7/2005 10:05:09 PM

isnt it funny that a yellow light is a warning light to slow down but everyone just speeds up when they see it

12/7/2005 10:55:00 PM

TRY IT. Go find a red light camera and tell us if it takes a picture of your car if you are in the intersection when the light turns red.

It is stupid for you to be in the intersection when the light is red. You have plenty of time to stop with the yellow light.

12/7/2005 11:24:51 PM

those cameras aparently only do it as the threadmaker suggested (white line AFTER red). this is to prevent those close-calls so ppl cant contest them.

12/7/2005 11:29:00 PM

i think if you can stop safely while the light is yellow and dont then the officer can write you a ticket

12/7/2005 11:36:42 PM

down in raleigh the yellow lights are like 10 minutes long. i had never run a red until i lived in raleigh. went back to PA and ran about 3 in a week by accident. the lights up there are about 1/4 second and i still managed to stop every time in high school. you ppl have no excuse.

12/7/2005 11:45:11 PM

Quote :

"TRY IT. Go find a red light camera and tell us if it takes a picture of your car if you are in the intersection when the light turns red. It is stupid for you to be in the intersection when the light is red. You have plenty of time to stop with the yellow light."

Yellow light means "Prepare to stop". If your car has passed the white line and the light is red, then congratulations...you have just ran the red light. Think about it like this. There is a car in the intersection waiting to make a left-hand turn. Your car enters the intersection (crosses the white line) just as the light turns red. Those few seconds that the light is yellow is to clear the intersection for incoming traffic. Not for you to speed through. Better yet, replace that redlight with a stop sign.
Now, there are some times when you have no choice, but to continue through the intersection (ie. heavy traffic), but you shouldn't have been "blocking the box" any damn way.

[Edited on December 8, 2005 at 2:18 AM. Reason : right of way didn't illustrate point]

12/8/2005 2:16:19 AM

I thought the rule was so long as all four of your tires have crossed the white line before the light switches to red you are ok.

If the intersection has pedestrian crosswalks (especially those that countdown) you can get advance notice when a yellow light is coming. As long as the pedestrian light is showing "walk" the light will remain green, and when it starts flashing "dont walk" the light will remain green at least 6-8 seconds (often it is longer, especially at larger intersections).

12/8/2005 3:36:02 AM

http://www.ncdot.org/dmv/driver_services/drivershandbook/chapter5/trafficSignals.html

Quote :

" * A circular green signal means "go", but left turning traffic is "unprotected" and must yield the rightÐofÐway to oncoming traffic * A circular yellow signal means "caution" and indicates that the signal is about to turn red. * A circular red signal means "stop". "

Quote :

"# Stop for a yellow signal unless you are too close to the intersection to stop safely - in that case, drive cautiously through the intersection. # Never speed up for a yellow signal to "beat" the red signal. "

12/8/2005 4:05:17 AM

If you pull into the intersection to turn left on a solid green light and the light turns red, you have to turn so you're not in the way of traffic. That's not considered running a red light.
I've always thought that if you were halfway through the intersection before the light turned red you were fine.

12/8/2005 5:03:54 AM

its not like other lights turn green as soon as your light turns red. so if pple speed trhough at the last minute the left turners still have about 3 seconds with every light red to clear the intersection

12/8/2005 9:48:54 AM

If your car is in the intersection when the light is red, then you are running the red light.

To the people who pull out and turn left, that is still running the red light, because you should not have been in the intersection if you did not have the time or clearance to complete your turn.

12/8/2005 10:55:49 AM

One car ALWAYS gets to turn left, thats why they can sit there in the intersection and turn when the light is actually red.

12/8/2005 10:58:51 AM

if you enter under yellow its not running a red light

Quote :

"TRY IT. Go find a red light camera and tell us if it takes a picture of your car if you are in the intersection when the light turns red."

the first picture they take is of the position of your car when the light is red. if its not behind the white line... no ticket

[Edited on December 8, 2005 at 11:02 AM. Reason : .]

12/8/2005 11:01:08 AM

^ you may not get a ticket, but you are an idiot for not stopping with the yellow. There is plenty of time. It is like begging for an accident.

^^ One car does not automatically get to turn left. They just do it because they want to go. Left turn arrows are the only time a car is garunteed the ability to turn across traffic.

12/8/2005 11:26:53 AM

i was just pointing out that you were incorrect

12/8/2005 11:39:03 AM

Alright so what then when you are at an intersection where it's a green only light and you need to make a left but due to the nature of the traffic situation you would never be able to go left because of a high amount of traffic.

I've been at lights that for about 2-3 cycles you couldn't make a left so unless you feel like sitting there for about an hour with traffic getting pissed off behind you also wanting to turn left, you'd better frickin make that left turn.

One light that pops into mind is the light in Cary where you are facing the post office and your car is perpendicular to Kildaire Farm Road. That place is a nightmare.

12/8/2005 2:31:39 PM

the infraction is actually for "entering the intersection" after the light turns red

as long as you cross the white line before it turns red, you're good.

12/9/2005 2:42:15 AM

^ That's what I always thought, but I try to play it safe when they have those red light cameras at an intersection if I can do so.

12/9/2005 2:50:06 AM

yeah i get scared and slam on breaks if i see a yellow light at the camera intersections


if im already in the intersection and see it turned yellow i speed up

12/9/2005 6:16:14 AM

well the ppl that pull into the intersection to make a left arent really what im worried about whether it is legal or not. they do it b/c of heavy traffic (or sometimes jsut to be a dick, but usually has a reason). they arent going to cause an accident though, which should be our primary concern.

12/9/2005 10:55:37 AM

Quote :

"as long as you cross the white line before it turns red, you're good."

well what part of the car? The whole thing or just any part of it?

12/9/2005 10:57:30 AM

My mom got a ticket once while I was in the car when the light turned red while she was in the middle of the intersection. She said 'I thought that was legal?'. He said 'Here's your court date'

12/9/2005 11:03:16 AM

Quote :

"well the ppl that pull into the intersection to make a left arent really what im worried about whether it is legal or not."

the "entering the intersection" thing is why that's not illegal, anyway. i've done that right in front of cops before.

Quote :

"well what part of the car? The whole thing or just any part of it?"

as far as i know, it's any part of it. i mean, once your front bumper cross the line, you've entered the intersection.


^but yeah, it's just like lots of other crimes. whatever cops don't like is, to some extent, illegal. it's gonna be your word against his. i'm not gonna go around running scared of getting in trouble for not breaking the law. they'll give you the benefit of the doubt a decent % of the time, anyway.

12/9/2005 11:12:07 AM