Flashing Yellow Arrow on a Wet Nimitz Highway
At 5:40 p.m. on a wet Nimitz Highway, you are stopped in the left-turn lane at a signalized intersection. The left-turn signal displays a flashing yellow arrow, and an overhead sign reads LEFT TURN YIELD ON FLASHING YELLOW ARROW. The through light for your direction is green. Two oncoming cars are approaching faster than you expected, and the pavement is slick from an afternoon shower. A pedestrian is waiting at the far corner but has not stepped into the crosswalk. You edge forward to see better. The light for the through lanes turns yellow, then red; your left-turn arrow turns solid yellow, then red. You are now partly inside the intersection, angled left, with oncoming traffic still moving. A driver behind you honks twice.
1. What exactly does the flashing yellow arrow permit you to do at this intersection, and what must you do before turning?
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A flashing yellow arrow means left turns are permitted but are not protected. You may enter the intersection to wait for a safe gap only if you can do so without blocking cross traffic or the crosswalk, and you must yield to oncoming vehicles and to pedestrians. The green through light does not change that duty: the left-turn movement is still yielding. On wet pavement you need a larger gap because stopping distances are longer and oncoming cars may skid. Do not treat the flashing yellow as a 'go' arrow; it is a 'go when clear' arrow. The overhead sign is a reminder, not a grant of right-of-way.
2. The arrow has turned red while you are partly in the intersection. What should you do now, and why is backing up a bad choice?
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Because you are already partly in the intersection, you should complete the left turn as soon as you can do so safely, yielding to oncoming traffic and pedestrians. You should not stop in the middle of the intersection or back up. Backing up is dangerous because traffic behind you may be close, you may not have a clear view, and your vehicle is angled; backing can cause a collision and can leave you blocking the crosswalk. If oncoming traffic is still heavy, wait for a gap and clear the intersection; a red arrow does not authorize a new entry, but it does not require you to reverse out of a position you already occupy. The priority is to clear the intersection without forcing a collision.
3. The driver behind honks again. How should that affect your decision?
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It should not. The horn is pressure, not information about the gap. You are the driver who can see the oncoming cars and the pedestrian; the driver behind cannot see the same field. Turning into a small gap on wet pavement risks a collision that the honking driver will not share. Wait for a clearly safe gap, then complete the turn. If the honking continues, stay calm and do not wave or gesture. If the driver tries to go around you, keep your lane position predictable and avoid sudden moves.