Flashing Yellow Arrow with a Pedestrian
At 5:15 p.m. you are first in the left-turn lane at a signalized intersection. The signal for your lane displays a flashing yellow arrow. A white stop bar and a marked crosswalk lie ahead; pedestrians are walking from your right. A sign beside the signal reads LEFT TURN YIELD ON FLASHING YELLOW. Oncoming traffic is heavy, and a green through light is lit for them. You want to turn left onto a one-way street. The light changes to a steady green arrow just as a pedestrian steps into the crosswalk from the right. Your passenger says the green arrow means you can go because the pedestrians have a DON'T WALK signal. You must decide what the flashing yellow arrow meant, where to wait, and what to do when the green arrow appears.
1. What does the flashing yellow arrow require, and may you enter the intersection to wait?
Read the worked answer
A flashing yellow arrow is a permissive left-turn signal. It means you may turn left only after yielding to oncoming traffic and to pedestrians in the crosswalk. You may enter the intersection to wait for a gap if you can do so without blocking the crosswalk or the stop bar, but you do not have the right of way. The sign repeats the rule. With heavy oncoming traffic, you should wait behind the stop bar unless you can clear the crosswalk and wait safely inside the intersection.
2. The steady green arrow appears as a pedestrian enters the crosswalk. What do you do?
Read the worked answer
Stop and wait. A steady green arrow gives you a protected turn against oncoming traffic, but it does not give you the right to drive through a pedestrian who is already in the crosswalk. The pedestrian may have started on a countdown or may not have a working DON'T WALK display; your passenger's assumption is not a reason to move. Let the pedestrian clear your path, then proceed when the crosswalk is empty and the turn is safe.
3. How do the white stop bar and crosswalk change where you wait?
Read the worked answer
The stop bar is where you must stop for the signal; the crosswalk is a pedestrian zone you must keep clear. If you wait behind the stop bar, you preserve sight lines and do not block pedestrians. If you enter to wait for a permissive turn, stop before the crosswalk, not on it, and keep your wheels straight until you begin the turn. This also prevents you from being pushed into oncoming traffic if you are rear-ended.