North Carolina does not follow the “restrictive” yellow light rule. Some states call for drivers to stop, unless it is unsafe to do so, when a traffic light ahead of them changes to yellow. Laws that legally require drivers to stop for a yellow light are called “restrictive” yellow light laws. North Carolina’s yellow light statute, NCGS 20-158 (b)(2a), states that a yellow light is simply a warning to drivers that the light is about to change to red.
The danger for North Carolina drivers is that the lack of legal repercussion for maintaining speed through a yellow light gives drivers legal permission to ignore the yellow, and in some cases speed up in an effort to beat the yellow light and clear the intersection. In North Carolina, yellow traffic lights typically remain illuminated for 3 to 6 seconds, according to the Federal Highway Administration’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. This is very little warning for driver’s traveling at 55 mph.
At 55 mph, a driver is traveling at 80.7 feet per second. With a three second yellow light, they would be 242 feet from the intersection when the light first cycles to yellow. Drivers need time to see and perceive a danger, physically react, and then the vehicle needs time and distance before it can come to a safe stop. According to Regulations.gov, at 55 mph, the stopping sight distance is approximately 495 feet. While drivers and road conditions vary, a 3 second warning certainly creates pressure and danger for drivers traveling at higher speeds.
Some states treat yellow lights as “restrictive”, meaning that drivers can be cited for a traffic violation if they drive through a yellow light that they could have safely stopped for. North Carolina legislators took the more forgiving approach, in part due to the ambiguity involved in prosecuting the charge. In the absence of intersection cameras, any driver could argue that the warning came at a time when they would have to slam on brakes and potentially lose control. Further, the red light violation remains in place. In North Carolina a driver can be convicted of running a red light if the light changes to red as they enter the intersection.
An interesting overlay is the application of yellow light laws in civil crash cases involving injury. North Carolina follows the pure contributory negligence rule. Under this law, if a driver is just slightly at fault for causing a collision, even just 1% at fault for causing the crash, they have no claims and no right to seek compensation for property damage or personal injury claims. There are several cases decided by our courts that state that if a driver is sitting at a red light, waits until their light changes to green, and then pulls forward and gets struck by a driver who runs a red light, they have no claims if they could have seen the driver approaching the intersection with the red signal. Thus, we see our laws being more forgiving for drivers who run yellow lights, and more harsh for victims who rely solely on the green signal without looking and pull into the path of a driver who runs a red light.
Perhaps the safest approach would be that of states like Iowa and Michigan who have “restrictive” yellow light laws. If drivers faced traffic charges and increased insurance rates for disregarding or seeking to beat yellow lights, we would expect a significant reduction in collisions at intersections controlled by traffic lights.