Could you get a ticket for running a yellow light in NC? Here’s what state law says
When you’re approaching an intersection after a traffic light turns yellow, you have to make a choice: stop as the light flashes red, or speed through the intersection.
Stopping would reduce your chances of getting into a crash, but many drivers would choose the latter to get to their destinations faster.
Could you get a ticket for running a yellow light in North Carolina? Here’s what state law says.
Can you get a ticket for running a yellow light in NC?
Drivers can get tickets for running yellow lights in some states, but North Carolina is not one of them, according to Charlotte-based law firm Browning & Long.
In North Carolina, state law says a yellow light is a warning that a light will turn red soon.
However, if a light is red by the time you run it, you could face a fine of up to $100, and points on your driving and insurance records.
What if the light is flashing yellow?
When approaching an intersection with a flashing yellow light, drivers should “proceed through the intersection with caution, yielding the right-of-way to vehicles in or approaching the intersection,” state law says.
Drivers are required to stop and yield the right-of-way to approaching vehicles at intersections with flashing red lights, similar to a four-way stop, according to state law.
When is it legal to run red lights?
Cars must always stop at red lights, but there is a rule that allows motorcyclists to run red lights in North Carolina.
If a rider waits at a red light for at least three minutes and it doesn’t change, the state’s safe-on-red law says they can proceed through the light carefully if there are no other drivers approaching the intersection.
The law is in place due to traffic signal sensors not always recognizing motorcycles.
This story was originally published July 17, 2024 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Could you get a ticket for running a yellow light in NC? Here’s what state law says."
