Amber Traffic light - The Myth vs the truth

My fellow people! What is up! Here’s to another week and another blog. Here you will always find the truth, information that will help you and information you can benefit from.

This week's topic being traffic lights but targeting the most underrated colour - Amber Light. So what do we know about it, let’s start with the myth;

When you see a solid amber light, that means it’s about to turn red which means "I better go quickly so I don’t have to stop." Then he/she accelerates more and speeds through it. Thinking "yesssss I made it phew!" Well I’m screaming to you noooo! That should not be done, that is the wrong decision. 

So now let’s dive into the truth -

In the UK, an amber traffic light means “stop” if it is safe to do so. It’s a warning that the light is about to turn red. However, if you are too close to the junction to stop safely when the light turns solid amber or if there is a tailgater right up your arse then, and only then, you should proceed on.

Amber lights are essentially a transition phase, so they require drivers to use their judgment based on their speed and distance from the stop line. Failing to stop for an amber light (without a valid reason such as being too close to stop safely) can result in penalties similar to running a red light. Now saying that, please do not perform any emergency stops for the amber lights as this is not what's encouraged, it just means prepare for it and in an ideal world you should already know if it is safe to stop or not because approaching any traffic lights you must be aware of your surroundings and anticipate the light to change. 

Hopefully we have cleared the myth vs the truth. The next time you approach an amber light, make the correct decision! Until next time drivers, stay safe peeps!