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Old 08-21-2023, 08:36 PM   #1
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Yellow lights, how do you handle them?

I pull an 8000 pound trailer with an F350 diesel SRW. Every time I approach green lights on the highway going about 50-55, I instinctively pucker up because I just know a yellow light will pop up at the do or die moment of indecision.
Was going this morning about 50mph in a 55mph zone when suddenly the light turned yellow at the moment where I would have to hit my brakes hard to stop in time. So....I decided to drive through knowing it would probably turn red right when my truck was crossing the intersection but with plenty of time to clear before he other traffic started but probably technically violating the law.
All of a sudden, and after I committed, the car in the other lane cut right in front of me and hit his brakes hard for the caution light. Because I had already committed, I had to lock them up in order to stop in time.
My question is, how many seconds are your caution lights and do you feel they give you enough time to stop without coming down very strong? Do you feel they should be a little longer or not? How do you safely handle lights on highways?
Thanks
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Old 08-21-2023, 08:45 PM   #2
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That is a tough call.
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Old 08-21-2023, 08:57 PM   #3
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Glad things worked out for you, though you did get a real chance to test the brakes! By habit/experience I don't intentionally give anyone a chance to jump in front of my vehicle, no matter what I am driving (adjust speed as necessary). If an idiot has the opportunity to do something foolish they will take it (myself included in very rare occasions). Just drive defensively always!...Cheers!...
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Old 08-21-2023, 09:34 PM   #4
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Highly suggest a dash cam if you don't already have one.
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Old 08-21-2023, 09:42 PM   #5
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We all would do just what you did ! You really don’t have much of a choice and you sure don’t want to stop in the middle of an intersection !
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Old 08-21-2023, 11:15 PM   #6
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Don't try to handle the yellow lights. They're too high up to reach anyhow. Just drive under them.

I don't know, it's always a judgment call. And sometimes you have to slam on the binders.

I got pulled over one time for running a red. I told the officer it was still yellow when it disappeared from my view in the upper windshield, and trying to stop in time with the trailer would have been problematic. He let me off.
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Old 08-21-2023, 11:35 PM   #7
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Yellow lights, how do you handle them?

My pro training called “stale green” lights as a hazard. Thats a light that’s green that you didn’t see turn green and don’t know how long it’s been green. When approaching those lights depending on speed and conditions you must make a decision point. One where you can stop safely without slamming on the brakes or speeding up. If you go past that point you’re going through. If the yellow is properly timed for the traffic speed you’ll go through before the red turns or at least be in the middle of the intersection ( same thing). Ea Yellow is supposed to be timed for the speed limit to allow a safe stop not a screeching stop.
There can be unexpected things happening all around you The guy who cut you off and slammed on the brakes is lucky you were prepared ( as are you).
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Old 08-21-2023, 11:40 PM   #8
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In CA the yellow lights are timed so that at the speed limit the solid white line of the left turn lane is the right length that if you are past the beginning of that line you will make it through the intersection before it turns red. if you are before that line you have room to stop.
That does not mean some idiot won't stop in front of you.
Not all states time theirs the same. DR
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Old 08-21-2023, 11:51 PM   #9
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That's a tough call for you. You did the best you could.

I'm one of those defensive drivers that always takes my foot off the gas & hovers it over the brake pedal, just a wee bit, as I approach an intersection anyway. I may be in a 50 or 45 mph zone, but I sure ain't goin that fast when I approach an intersection. If I remember my driver's test correctly, yellow does not mean floor it to get through. It means slow down & be prepared to stop. Unfortunately most drivers do the former.

An RV driving instructor I had said there was something called a "stale green light". If, as you are looking ahead (which we should all be doing anyway) far enough & a light is green as you are approaching, despite the posted speed limit, one should slow in anticipation of that light changing as you are approaching because ya can't stop these things on a dime. That HAS been the case for me & I've been able to stop, without slamming on the brakes, even if the vehicle ahead of me slams on theirs (or they sail through on a yellow changing to red & I'm still safely stopped).

As well as keeping an eye on lights ahead of me, I look for crosswalk signs. If they are displaying the white walk sign, then I don't have to worry about it. If they are flashing a countdown, again foot off the gas/hovering over the brake in anticipation of the light changing. As I get closer & can see the countdown numbers are high, I proceed at my slower speed. If the countdown numbers are in the single digits, I slow down even further knowing I will stop.

It's worked for me in 24 years of RV'ing. Not to say there still won't be an idiot who cuts in front of me & slams on their brakes, possibly causing me to do the same. But that's why, as others have noted, I have a dash cam to record those idiots.
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Old 08-22-2023, 07:18 AM   #10
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I find that travelling the same speed as the traffic helps prevent being cut off. When approaching lights , I pic a spot on the road where once past it , I will run through the light, as long as there is no one in front of me that can stop before the light. There will always be someone on the road that will cut in front of you , so all you can do is be prepared.
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Old 08-22-2023, 07:38 AM   #11
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I really appreciate the signs that flash - warning that the light is about to Turin red.Click image for larger version

Name:	Screenshot_20230822-073558~2.jpg
Views:	35
Size:	36.4 KB
ID:	401044
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Old 08-22-2023, 09:49 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NLOVNIT View Post
That's a tough call for you. You did the best you could.

I'm one of those defensive drivers that always takes my foot off the gas & hovers it over the brake pedal, just a wee bit, as I approach an intersection anyway. I may be in a 50 or 45 mph zone, but I sure ain't goin that fast when I approach an intersection. If I remember my driver's test correctly, yellow does not mean floor it to get through. It means slow down & be prepared to stop. Unfortunately most drivers do the former.

An RV driving instructor I had said there was something called a "stale green light". If, as you are looking ahead (which we should all be doing anyway) far enough & a light is green as you are approaching, despite the posted speed limit, one should slow in anticipation of that light changing as you are approaching because ya can't stop these things on a dime. That HAS been the case for me & I've been able to stop, without slamming on the brakes, even if the vehicle ahead of me slams on theirs (or they sail through on a yellow changing to red & I'm still safely stopped).

As well as keeping an eye on lights ahead of me, I look for crosswalk signs. If they are displaying the white walk sign, then I don't have to worry about it. If they are flashing a countdown, again foot off the gas/hovering over the brake in anticipation of the light changing. As I get closer & can see the countdown numbers are high, I proceed at my slower speed. If the countdown numbers are in the single digits, I slow down even further knowing I will stop.

It's worked for me in 24 years of RV'ing. Not to say there still won't be an idiot who cuts in front of me & slams on their brakes, possibly causing me to do the same. But that's why, as others have noted, I have a dash cam to record those idiots.
Excellent, I do the same, self taught. I believe in a huge buffer zone even if it means folks will constantly fill it in ahead of me, which they do. I just let them beat me to those red lights and save my brakes and my fuel.
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Old 08-22-2023, 09:50 AM   #13
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I really appreciate the signs that flash - warning that the light is about to Turin red.Attachment 401044
When I was in Mexico I saw intersections where the green would start to flash just before it switched to yellow. see video at about 20 sec in

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Old 08-22-2023, 10:03 AM   #14
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Here in the SC midlands, we have some intersections that have warning yellows that flash some distance out that when flashing, alert you to an imminent light change when you reach said intersection.
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