Flashing Yellow Left Arrow With a Green Circle
You are southbound on a five-lane Indiana arterial at 5:15 p.m. in the left-turn lane, waiting to turn left onto an eastbound street. The signal for your direction displays a flashing yellow left arrow; the through lane has a green circle. Two lanes of oncoming northbound traffic are moving, and a pedestrian is walking in the crosswalk on your right. Your left-turn lane is separated from the through lane by a solid white line that becomes dashed as you enter the intersection. You have not entered the intersection yet. The driver behind you taps the horn, and the pedestrian is still in the crosswalk. You want to turn left as soon as possible without creating a conflict.
1. What does the flashing yellow left arrow mean in this situation?
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A flashing yellow left arrow means you may turn left only after yielding to oncoming traffic and to pedestrians in the crosswalk. It is not a protected turn. The green circle for the through lane does not give you priority over oncoming northbound traffic, and the pedestrian on your right has the right of way in the crosswalk. The horn from behind does not change those duties. You should wait behind the stop line or in the proper turn position, watch the oncoming lanes, and look for the pedestrian to clear. The solid white line that becomes dashed shows where the turn lane is defined; it does not authorize you to cut across the through lane or to enter the intersection before it is safe.
2. The light changes from flashing yellow to steady yellow while you are still behind the stop line. What should you do?
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A steady yellow left arrow warns that the protected or permissive left-turn phase is ending. If you are still behind the stop line, do not enter the intersection just to beat the red. Stop if you can do so safely, because entering on yellow when you cannot clear would leave you stranded in the path of cross traffic. The driver behind may be impatient, but the yellow is not an instruction to accelerate. If you have already crossed the stop line and are legally within the intersection when the arrow turns red, finish the turn when it is safe; do not stop in the middle of the intersection or reverse. The key distinction is position: behind the line, stop; already committed, clear.
3. The pedestrian is still in the crosswalk and the arrow turns red. May you complete the turn if the pedestrian clears?
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If you have not entered the intersection, a red arrow means you may not start the turn. If you have already entered on the yellow and are waiting for a safe gap, you may complete the turn after yielding to the pedestrian and any oncoming traffic, even if the arrow has turned red, because you are clearing the intersection rather than beginning a new movement. Do not use the pedestrian's clearance as an excuse to turn across other traffic that now has a green light. If you are still behind the stop line when the arrow turns red, remain there and wait for the next permitted phase. The safe rule is to enter only when you can see a reasonable path out.