What does a red light mean? A green light? yellow light? The answers may surprise you.

A red light does indeed mean ‘stop.’ But a green light does not just mean ‘go.’ A green light means GO only in drag racing. On the roadway, a green light means proceed with caution. Catch a pop-up.

A yellow light means caution; a red light is about to appear. If a yellow light appears you should stop if you cannot proceed safely. It is legal to enter an intersection on a yellow light, but whether it was ‘safe’ is another matter.

The old rule on following was: Follow the vehicle ahead of you at one vehicle-length for every ten miles an hour you are traveling.

The new rule of thumb is the ‘three second rule’. Neither of these ‘rules’ is a law. The law is actually contained in two different laws CVC 21703 and CVC 21704. The first of these laws states that, “[…] a vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of such a vehicle and the traffic upon, and the condition of, the roadway.”