Driving Through a Yellow Light – What Louisiana Law Really Says

(KMDL-FM) Is it legal to drive through an intersection in Louisiana when the "yellow light" is on full display on the traffic signal? Or is that just a myth? You know, one of those things we have heard as true and have heard enough times that we think of it as true.

When you think of myths, you usually think about partially clothed Romans or Greeks throwing lightning bolts down at a cowering and confused crowd. I think that's what myths do better than anything else they do. They confuse people. That's because they sound close enough to the truth to where they're plausible, but often the distance between myth and reality is quite large.

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Even though we as a society believe our rules, a.k.a. laws, are hard and fast and binding, there is a lot of myth involved in law and its interpretation. I think the interpretation is why myths prevail in a lot of legal circumstances. What is actually an educated legal opinion by a judge is often interpreted by laymen, such as us, as a loophole or gray area of the law.

What Does Louisiana Law Say About Driving Through Yellow Caution Lights?

When it comes to traffic laws, there might not be a more gray area than the always up for discussion subject of "Is it legal to run through a yellow light" in Louisiana. And in true Louisiana tradition, the most widely accepted answer to that question is "maybe".

It's easy to see why the answer of "maybe" is actually very much in line with Louisiana Law on the subject of yellow lights at intersections. The statute RS 32:232(2)(a) says, and we are paraphrasing, that a steady yellow light is a warning that the red light will appear immediately. It is your warning to clear the intersection and not enter it.

Based on that opinion, you'd think that running through a yellow light at an intersection would be against the law. The part about "not enter it" is where you'd deduce that finding. However, the same statute goes on to explain that if you're already in the intersection and the light turns yellow, or it is unsafe for you to stop, then you may proceed.

So, based on that extension of the previous opinion, Louisiana law suggests that yes, you can run through a yellow light, but you better have a good reason and a good story, and you better hope that reason and story match whatever the officer who pulled you over saw.

Is It Legal To Drive Through A Yellow Light At an Intersection in Louisiana?

So, the official answer to the question, "Can you run through a yellow light at an intersection in Louisiana?" is absolutely not... unless you can't help it. Then you can run through yellow lights all day long. It's no wonder our car insurance is so expensive.