Driving Myth #1: Yellow Lights

Myth No. 1:  The light was yellow, so it was ok for me to speed up to make it through in time.

This particular “urban legend” leads to a large number of T-bone type crashes at busy Portland intersections every year. Yet there is a very specific Oregon statute dealing with this issue. ORS 811.265 refers to “Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device;” the requirement is for all vehicles to stop at a yellow light just as they would at a red light. The statute goes on to state that a vehicle may only proceed through a yellow light if—and only if—they cannot stop with safety.

Video provided by the Portland Police Bureau.