Pines Salomon Personal Injury Lawyers | July 1, 2025 | Car Accidents
Some lights are designed to flash. For example, an intersection near a fire station might have a flashing yellow light to alert drivers to watch for approaching emergency vehicles.
Traffic signals are also designed to flash when they encounter a problem. For example, traffic lights may enter a default mode due to a programming error, power outage, or electrical fault. This mode is not a mistake; it signals to drivers that the signal cannot control traffic and that drivers must treat the intersection differently until the signals can be repaired.
How To Navigate an Intersection With Flashing Lights
Here is how to navigate flashing lights in California:
Flashing Red Lights: Stop and Yield
Flashing red lights are treated as stop signs. Vehicles must stop behind the stop line or crosswalk. They must remain stopped until they have the right of way:
- If the other roadway has no sign or signal, they must wait until traffic clears
- If the other roadway has a stop sign or flashing red light, they must follow the right-of-way rules
The right-of-way is determined using the conventional rules at four-way stops. Specifically, the first vehicle to arrive has the right of way over later-arriving vehicles. If two vehicles arrive at the same time, the one to the right has the right of way.
Flashing Yellow Lights: Proceed With Caution
A flashing yellow light is a caution signal, not a yield sign. Drivers do not need to stop or slow down. Moreover, the law does not require them to yield to other traffic. Instead, the flashing light merely alerts the driver to proceed cautiously.
Special Situations for Flashing Lights
There are two exceptions to the general rules above. First, flashing lights at a railroad crossing indicate a train is approaching. Drivers must stop until the track is clear and any barrier or arm blocking the railway has opened.
Second, flashing lights at a school zone alert drivers to obey the school zone speed limit and watch for children present. These lights are designed to alert drivers to the risk of pedestrian accidents near crosswalks and schools.
Inoperative Traffic Lights
In California, inoperative lights may appear as follows:
- All the lights are off
- All the lights flash red
- Lights facing one road flash red while the lights facing the other road flash yellow
Under California law, drivers must treat intersections with inoperative traffic lights as four-way stops. Thus, all drivers must stop behind the stop line or crosswalk. They can only proceed according to the right-of-way rules.
What Happens if Drivers Fail To Follow the Right-of-Way Rules?
Not all drivers know how to handle flashing traffic lights. If you get hit at an intersection with flashing lights, the liability for the intersection accident depends on which driver violated the rules.
A driver who fails to stop at a flashing red light has disobeyed a stop sign. They will likely bear the liability for any resulting crash. Similarly, a driver who disobeys the right-of-way rules at an intersection with inoperative lights will probably be liable for the injuries and property damage they cause.
The rules are murky when a driver fails to exercise caution when facing a flashing yellow light. Although different drivers may define caution differently, the law uses an objective standard. To determine whether a driver violated the rules at a flashing yellow light, you must examine what a reasonably cautious driver would have done in the same situation.
For example, suppose that a flashing light sits at the bottom of a hill to warn drivers to slow down. If a driver speeds past the light, they probably did not exercise reasonable caution and will be liable for any car accident that results.
Staying Safe at Flashing Lights
The rules for flashing lights help keep drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists safe. You must stop at flashing red lights and dark lights. You must exercise reasonable caution when flashing yellow lights are on. Finally, you must treat inoperative traffic signals as four-way stops.
If you’ve been in an accident involving a flashing light, contact Pines Salomon Personal Injury Lawyers today to schedule a free consultation with a car accident attorney.
Contact the Car Accident Lawyers of Pines Salomon Injury Lawyers in San Diego, CA, for Help Today
For more information, contact an experienced car accident lawyer at Pines Salomon Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation today.
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