What’s With Those Flashing Yellow Arrows on Stoplights Here in Minnesota?

You might have noticed a different feature on several, mainly new, stoplights here in southeastern Minnesota: those flashing yellow arrows. But why are they showing up -- and how do they help traffic?

Well, if I understand things correctly, the flashing yellow arrow is there to assist you when making a left turn. It means you can proceed through the intersection, assuming no oncoming traffic is present, of course. The flashing yellow arrow usually comes on after the green arrow. The green arrow, as we all know, signals that you're able to make a 'protected' left turn, meaning you have the right-of-way, and oncoming traffic yields to you.

In reality, the flashing yellow arrow performs the same function as a standard green light. Which means, if you're making a left turn across traffic, even though you have the green light, you have to wait to complete your turn until on-coming traffic has moved through the intersection. We all learned that in driver's ed. So why the change?

According to a story in BringMeTheNews, "Studies conclude drivers had fewer crashes at intersections with flashing yellow arrows than at intersections controlled by traditional stoplights, MnDOT notes, and that intersections were also more efficient, offering motorists more opportunities to make a left turn than the traditional signal would allow."

The story goes on to note that, "Woodbury city engineer Klay Eckles told the Pioneer Press that drivers who face a green light tend to try and squeeze between small gaps in traffic more often, while those with a flashing yellow arrow tend to be more cautious, even though they have the same meaning."

Ahh, so that's why -- it makes us more cautious. Not a bad thing, I guess. But seeing as this is the first change to our basic stoplights in over 40 years, it might be a little confusing when you see the flashing yellow arrow. Here's a handy video that explains how they work...