Category Archive: Safe Driving

Question: I was behind a large truck at a traffic light and, when I followed it through the light, I was stopped and given a ticket for running a red light. What are you supposed to do when a large truck or bus is hiding the light ahead?

 Answer: Going through a traffic light when you aren’t really sure whether it is red or green can be very dangerous. A couple of years ago a woman in Florida followed a school bus through the light. Apparently, because she couldn’t see ahead, she didn’t know that the School bus had turned on the yellow light. By the time the bus cleared the intersection, the light had turned red and, as the woman entered the intersection, she was broadsided by a car on the cross-street that had the green light. Unfortunately, for the woman, it was a fatal crash.

 If you are behind a large vehicle and can’t see the light, don’t move until the large vehicle has moved far enough ahead so that you can clearly see the light. Once you know you have a green light, you can safely proceed. If there’s a yellow or red light, remain in place and wait for the next green cycle.