Waiting at blinking yellow lights for next set of lights to turn green: required?

September 18, 2009 2:37 PM

Traffic question: on the road in front of a fire station in CT USA, there are two traffic lights, one just before the station and one at the corner the station is on. When the first set of lights are blinking yellow and the second set is red, people tend to stop at the yellow lights. Is that required?

This is on the side of the road closest to the fire station. I assume people stop at the yellow lights because they don't want to block the fire station driveway in case of an emergency, but I thought most stations had the ability to turn nearby traffic lights red (in other words, they could turn the blinking yellow lights red and anyone already at the second set of lights would just move out of the way). I don't think there's a sign at the yellow lights, but perhaps I didn't see it. I got beeped at once for not waiting at the yellow lights (my first time driving down that road) and it seems like practically everyone just knows to stop there. Is it a law or something?

posted by Baethan to travel & transportation (9 comments total)

The answer to this question is dependent upon CT's laws. Answers that refer to signage in another state or country are irrelevant.
posted by dfriedman at 2:52 PM on September 18

Is there a marked "keep clear" zone painted on the street in front of the station driveway? A lot of cities/states do that, but it sounds like that's not the case at this station. Or am I missing that?
posted by zachlipton at 2:54 PM on September 18

FWIW, I've been living in CT for 14 years. I'd never stop at a blinking yellow light, nor have I ever seen anyone do so. As far as I know, it's not required.

Although... if everyone was backed up from stopping at the red light, then I'd probably stop back at the yellow blinking lights and leave the fire station egress clear until the first set of lights turned green.
posted by smalls at 3:02 PM on September 18

Also, CT defines the behavior at a flashing yellow light as follows:

"When a yellow lens is illuminated with rapid intermittent flashes, drivers of vehicles facing such signal may proceed through the intersection or past such signal only with caution." (Sec 14-299(c)(2))
posted by zachlipton at 3:03 PM on September 18

Sorry I'm not going to take the time to find citations, but I've never been anywhere in the world where stopping on a blinking yellow is called for. It basically means continue with caution. And yes, it is almost certain that the fire company controls that light, and in my area, we can control the lights at major interstections, unfortunately (when we are just going to training or maintenance), our equipment is wired so that we cannot change the light unless our emergency lights are on and the sirens are blaring (seriously - that is a good thing).
posted by walleeguy at 3:09 PM on September 18

Stopping in what is considered to be an intersection is against the law in most states. It could be that the cars are stopping where they are not because of the blinking yellow, but because they consider that space to be an intersection.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 4:04 PM on September 18

I've lived in CT for about as long as smalls has. I'm convinced "consider the source" applies to this question. Big time.
posted by gnomeloaf at 8:31 PM on September 18

First Google hit for Connecticut driver's manual. On p. 76: "A flashing yellow traffic light means slow down and proceed with caution." But also, p. 37, "Even if you have the green light, do not start across the intersection if there are vehicles blocking your way. If you are caught in the intersection when the light changes to red, you will block other traffic. You can get a ticket for blocking an intersection."

If you have space beyond the light for your car, you don't have to stop at the flashing yellow. But if there isn't, you can't legally enter the intersection until you can clear it.

in other words, they could turn the blinking yellow lights red and anyone already at the second set of lights would just move out of the way

If they're blocking the fire station exit and there's a car in front of them and a car behind them, where would they go?
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 12:46 PM on September 20

When the fire truck comes, people tend to make room. If not - the firetruck is fully capable of pushing them out of the way.
posted by TravellingDen at 7:29 AM on September 23