Cheating Stoplight Surprises - Street Savvy - Mc Garage

So there you are, cruising down the boulevard, your right brain working all sorts of creative magic, when suddenly the stoplight you're about to shoot beneath goes from yellow to red-and you haven't even hit the intersection's midpoint yet.

Yeah, you'll probably get through unscathed. But there's always the possibility of a ticket from the side-street-hiding copper or increasingly common traffic camera, or worse, an accident with an oncoming, left-turning car that incorrectly assumed you'd stop for the light.

Obviously, the longer a light has been green, the more likely it is about to turn yellow. And one way to ready yourself for a sudden yellow is to sneak a peek at the crosswalk sign that tells pedestrians when it's safe to cross the street perpendicular to the one you're riding along. If that light shows the white shape of a pedestrian or an "OK" or "Walk" signal in a steady light (no flashing), then it's a safe bet the light's not about to change. But if it's showing a red hand, "Don't Walk" or "Stop" signal (particularly if it's flashing), then you know it's about to change, which means you need to be ready with the brakes.

You can reverse the idea to anticipate a light that's about to go from red to green-a tactic that can reduce the chance of you getting rear-ended by the vehicle behind. As you approach the intersection, check the stoplight perpendicular to the direction you're traveling and see what color's showing. If it's green, you're gonna be stopping. But if it's yellow, you're probably going to breeze right through-traffic conditions notwithstanding, of course.

One note: When hitting a freshly green light while still in motion, be mindful of cross-traffic busting the yellow/red signal. After all, you can't count on folks being as careful as you are.