Flashing Yellow Arrow

Safety issue

Left turns are the most dangerous movement a motorist makes so successful left turns are critical to the safe and efficient operation of signalized intersections. Motorists need clear and consistent messages to move safely through an intersection. Due to the wide variety of left-turn signals in use around the country, there was a need to establish a consistent message.

For more information, please visit FAMA.

Safety design

The Federal Highway Administration has adopted the flashing yellow arrow as a national standard. In most locations the flashing yellow arrow is part of a four-arrow arrangement within a signal located over the left turn lane. The new flashing yellow arrow provides a more direct message for left turns: left turn is permitted, but driver must first yield to opposing traffic and pedestrians, then proceed with caution.

The arrows in a four-arrow signal indicate:

• A steady red arrow means drivers turning left must stop.
• A steady yellow arrow means prepare to stop.
• A flashing yellow arrow means a driver may make a left turn if there is no oncoming traffic and there are no pedestrians crossing the street.
• A steady green arrow means a driver has the right of way to make a left turn.

Benefits

• A national study found flashing yellow left-turn arrows are easier to understand than traditional yield-on-green indications, reducing crashes by 24 percent.
• In certain cases, the flashing yellow arrow can allow for more opportunities to make a left-turn.

Where are they being used?

• Flashing yellow arrows are a new indication for signalized intersections that may be used depending on operating conditions and time of day.
• Existing signalized intersections can be retrofitted to convert from traditional yield-on-green indications to flashing yellow arrows.

Additional resources

What the Displays Look Like

The Flashing Yellow Arrow signal display is a four-section signal head that incorporates a green left-turn arrow display for protected left-turn movements and a flashing yellow arrow display for permitted left-turn movements. It will replace the more traditional five-section head, which incorporates a left-turn arrow display for protected left-turn movements and green ball display for permitted left-turn movements.

Installation

For more information, please visit flashing yellow traffic light.

The Transportation Cabinet began installing these displays in late and early . Metro Louisville installed Kentucky's first Flashing Yellow Arrow Display in November of .

Why Use These Displays?

For many years, some engineers have had concerns that drivers turning left on a permissive circular green signal indication might inadvertently mistake that indication as implying the left turn has the right of way over opposing traffic. As a result, federal research was authorized to study alternative signal displays. This research suggests that the Flashing Yellow Arrow display offers the following advantages:

1. Provides increased versatility in traffic signal phasing which can result in reduced delays at signalized intersections.
2. Provides a separate signal display for left-turn lanes as opposed to a shared display for left and through movements.
3. Has a high level of driver comprehension.

How the New Displays Operate

The displays associated with flashing yellow displays and driver expectations are as follows:

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit yellow blinking traffic light.