Ambiguous Red Lights and Florida Car Accident Cases

One of the first rules that preschool children learn is that a red light means stop and a green light means go.  Teachers adapt this principle to a variety of classroom policies, and until the novelty of traffic red lights wears off, parents can enjoy a calm inside the storm, when children are old enough not to fuss simply because they are in a car seat while awake but still too young to complain that riding in the car is boring.  Instead, parents get to listen to an endless loop of improvised nursery rhymes about stopping on red and going on green.  The world is rarely as simple as preschoolers think it is.  After a car accident, will an insurance company ever believe you that you were within your rights to go when the light was red?  The situations where you can go when a traffic light is red, the exceptions to the rule, are codified in law, but they can still be a source of confusion, and sometimes of traffic accidents.  If you got injured in a car accident arising from an unusual scenario involving a red light, contact a Fort Lauderdale auto accident attorney.

Does a Red Light Always Mean Stop?

When you are in kindergarten, you think that a red light always means stop and a green light always means go, but by the time you study for your driver’s license test, you realize that the rules are more complicated.  These are some situations where it is legal to go when your traffic light is red:

• If you are in the right lane of traffic, you may turn right at a red light. Treat the red light like a stop sign; stop and look for traffic first.  If there are cars going straight in your destination lane, they have the right of way.
• If there is a flashing red light at an intersection, instead of the usual alternation of colors, treat it like a stop sign.
• If the traffic light is not working and stays red for an extended period of time, wait twice as long as it would normally take for it to turn green. If it still has not turned green, treat it like a stop sign and go when there is no traffic.

Your Rights After a Car Accident Caused by Red Light Confusion

If you get injured in a car accident, you can get the least share of fault for the accident, and therefore get the insurance company to pay for the greatest share of your medical bills and vehicle damage, if you can demonstrate that you acted reasonably and did not violate traffic laws.  At the scene of the accident, gather evidence that the traffic light wasn’t working, such as by taking a video that the light was flashing or was stuck on red.

Set Up a Consultation Today

A personal injury lawyer can help you if you suffered injuries arising from a car accident where a malfunctioning red light was a factor.  Contact Boone & Davis in Fort Lauderdale, Florida or call 954-566-919 to explore your potential recovery options today.

Source:

stateofflorida.com/traffic-signals/#:~:text=A%20flashing%20red%20light%20means,school%20crossing%20or%20sharp%20curve.