Your traffic light changes to yellow as you approach an intersection. In most cases, what action should you take?

• A. Speed up to cross before red
• B. Stop immediately
• C. Make every reasonable effort to stop
• D. Proceed through if safe

Answer: (C)

Yellow signals mean a red light is coming and you should slow down and stop if you can do so safely. The idea is to treat the yellow as a warning to prepare to stop rather than to try to rush through. Making every reasonable effort to stop means you assess your speed and distance, brake smoothly, and come to a stop before the intersection whenever possible. Going faster to beat the red is unsafe and often illegal, so it’s not the right move. Stopping immediately isn’t always feasible or safe if you’re very close or moving too fast, which is why you should still aim to stop when it’s safe to do so. Proceeding through if safe ignores the warning nature of yellow and the risk that cross-traffic or pedestrians may still have the right of way.