Contrary to what appears to be a popular belief among many drivers, yellow light does not mean that approaching drivers should speed up to try to race through the intersection before it changes to red. A yellow light actually means that approaching drivers should slow down and come to a stop if it is safe to do so.
If a car accident happens at a yellow-light intersection, who is the driver at fault? It depends on who had the right-of-way based on the direction they were traveling and what light was showing to them.
Even though drivers should not speed up when approaching a yellow light, they still keep the right-of-way as they approach it. Other drivers who want to turn into the intersection must not do so until it is safe and clear, as in there are no drivers approaching at an accelerating rate. A driver who does turn right in front of a driver trying to race through a yellow light instead of slowing down would likely be the most liable for the accident.
On the other hand, if a driver tries to blast through a yellow and it switches to red on them before they enter the intersection, then they will be running a red light, not a yellow. In this situation, if another driver is moving through the intersection because their light switched to green, then the yellow-red speeder will most likely be fully liable for the resulting accident.
Proving Someone Ran a Yellow or Red
Oftentimes, the best evidence to use in a yellow-light accident claim is dashcam footage. If you have a dashcam installed in your car, then you should review its footage to see if the traffic light is visible. If the light was showing a green to you when another driver raced through the intersection to try to beat a yellow instead of slowing down, then it could be the critical piece of proof that convinces their insurance company to pay your full damages.
Politis & Matovina, P.A. offers counsel and representation to clients in Port Orange, Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, Palm Coast, and Orange City who have been injured in all sorts of car accidents. Contact us today if you were driving when another car crashed into you while the intersection was showing a yellow.