Is it ever okay to drive through a yellow light? Here's what happens if you do

Yesterday at 02:24 PM

We've all been there, the traffic light turns from green to yellow and you've got a split second to decide whether to hit the brakes hard or step on it and blast through before it’s red.

So what do you do? Is it ever okay to go through a yellow light or do you risk copping a huge fine?

The question has a lot of people fired up online, with one Reddit user posting in the r/melbourne thread asking when it is "unsafe" to stop at a traffic light.

RELATED: What counts as running a red light?

"The law clearly states that we must stop at a yellow light unless ‘unsafe’ to do so, even if that means stopping after the line but before the intersection," they said.

"Today I was almost rear-ended by someone that [sic] obviously didn’t intend to stop at that yellow light – he had been tailing me on and off for a while. I don’t think that I stopped ‘unsafely’, but I also can’t find any kind of definition around that.

"Is there a deceleration level of stopping time that would be considered unsafe here? I get that a screech of the brakes is bad, but what’s considered reasonable here?"

"It's a gut feel for me," replied user djmcaleer93. "If I can stop, without slamming the breaks [sic], I stop. If I'm too close to not slam, I go. If it's wet, more likely to go. If traffic is close behind me, more likely to go."

Meanwhile, others said the onus is on the person behind you if you need to brake hard to stop at a yellow light.

"Maintaining a safe stopping distance is the rear car's responsibility," commented sanemartigan.

"The solid line on approach theory has always done me well. If it goes yellow and I’m in the solid section, I continue through."

Generallmagination51 agreed, adding "Don't let tailgaters push you into running an amber light. They won’t be paying your fine. The onus is on them to follow at a safe enough distance if you come to an immediate stop at any time. Get a dashcam".

"If it’s a yellow and stopping suddenly would get you rear-ended then go through. Doesn’t really matter if you’re in the right, it’s still your car getting damaged and you potentially being injured," added lockieleonardsuper.

Can you go through a yellow traffic light?

According to regulation 57 of the Australian Road Rules, a driver approaching or at traffic lights showing a yellow traffic light must stop if:

• There is a stop line and the driver can stop safely before reaching it
• There is no stop line and the driver can stop safely before reaching the light
• The driver can't stop before the line or light, but can before entering the intersection.

The rules also apply whether travelling straight or attempting to make a turn.

Enforcement of this rule will largely be at a police officer's discretion if you’re driving on a road with no red light camera.

But if there is a camera, it will go off when the light is red when the vehicle's rear wheels have crossed the first white line in a pedestrian crossing area.

Here's what it means if you go through a yellow light in each state and territory, and how much it's going to cost you.

Can you get a ticket for going through a yellow light in Australia?

In Victoria, you must stop unless it’s not safe to do so or face a $481 fine and three penalty points.

In New South Wales, the rules are the same but also state that "you should not stop suddenly, and you should not speed up to get through a yellow light". If you do, the punishment is a $514 fine and three penalty points.

In Queensland, you must stop at a yellow light unless it is unsafe to do so. 

"The yellow light is not the end of the green light phase – it is the beginning of the red light phase," the rule states.

"If it's safe to stop, you must not drive past the stop line at the yellow traffic light or, if there is no stop line, the traffic light itself."

The resulting fine for breaching the rule is $575 and three penalty points.

In South Australia, a yellow light means slow down and get ready to stop if it's safe. Not doing so will net you a $540 fine and three points.

The ACT states that speeding up for yellow lights instead of braking is against the rules and "accelerating at a yellow light instead of stopping because you are in a hurry to get home, could end up with you never making it home again".

Police will issue a $518 fine for offenders and three points as well.

In the Northern Territory, a yellow circle or arrow means stop, and you can only enter the intersection if you’re so close that sudden braking might cause a crash.

"If the circle or arrow is flashing, you may proceed with caution while obeying the give way to the right rule or the T-intersection rule," it says.

The fine, however, in the NT is lower, costing drivers $240 and three points.

The cheapest place to make the mistake is in Tasmania, where you'll pay $159 and get a three-demerit-point penalty.

"A yellow (amber) traffic light or arrow means stop. It does not mean speed up to try and get through the intersection," the legislation states.

"The yellow light is the beginning of the red light phase, not the end of the green light phase. 

"You should only travel through an intersection showing a yellow light when it is not safe to stop before reaching the stop line or traffic lights. Penalties for running a yellow light are the same as for running a red light."

Last, but not least, in Australia's largest state, Western Australia, the rules say a "yellow traffic light is not an extension of a green light but the beginning of a red light and you must stop at a yellow traffic light unless it is unsafe to do so".

In WA, the penalty for breaking this rule is three demerit points and a $300 fine.

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