The ‘Michigan Yellow': Why Drivers Here Treat Yellow Lights Differently

It may be so commonplace to you that you don't give it a second thought. Or perhaps, you are very conscious of a yellow light when driving and will heed its warning to stop.

It's likely there are only two types of drivers. So which one are you?

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Casually, many, whether they admit it or not, would be the cruise through a yellow light before the dreaded red. So many of us commit this traffic transgression that is has a name - the Michigan Yellow.

The concept came up recently on the Lansing Subreddit for Reddit. The concept of a "Lansing Yellow" is that drivers will take a few seconds of time after the light turns red to complete their pass through the intersection.

The poster claims, "It is real. And it is a part of the culture of this city." It's likely the road culture of the state of Michigan - or even more likely drivers everywhere.

The question becomes, if the Lansing/Michigan Yellow is a thing, how many seconds of red light running are you allowed? Legally, of course, the answer is none. But in practice?

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Here's how one driver describes the activity of fellow drivers at traffic lights:

Green means go. Yellow means go faster. If it’s only been red a couple seconds, just cruise on thru.

Some were quick to claim that because the region does not impose traffic cameras widely at intersections drivers take the grace of a few seconds to go on red whereas in areas with red light cameras drivers have become accustomed to stopping on yellow to avoid a ticket.

It's worth noting that this Lansing/Michigan Yellow phenomena is about going straight through an intersection in the few seconds after the light has turned red rather than the likely equally common completing a left-hand turn as the oncoming traffic stops for a red light.

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So which kind of driver are you? Speed up on yellow and make the intersection even if you blow a red or slow to stop on yellow and wait for the next green?