You May Be Wrong On What A Yellow Light Means In Massachusetts

“What? What did I do?” Said Elwood Blues from the iconic movie “Blues Brothers” (1980). “It did not stop at a red signal,” the officer said. “The light was yellow, sir,” Blues replied. I think you know what happened after that.

In other states, the rules for a steady yellow light may be different, but in Massachusetts, the law is short and dry, but most people can be confused about what to do when approaching a yellow light.

I was studying for my written driving test in April 1997, and for whatever reason I remembered what the real rule for yellow lights was.

In reality, Massachusetts law states that when you approach a yellow light, you must STOP, unless it is unsafe to do so. Yes, stop.

A solid yellow circle means that the traffic light is changing from green to red. You must stop if it is safe. If you are already stopped at an intersection or stop line, you cannot continue. -mass.gov

As you can see, the rules are different for a flashing yellow light or a flashing yellow arrow.

So next time, (unless you think this post is a waste of time because you already knew this information), approach a yellow light in Massachusetts, STOP if it is safe to do so.