By KHT Staff. AI illustration image.
KAOHSIUNG — Drivers and riders should not accelerate to beat a yellow light or slam on their brakes at the last moment, Kaohsiung’s Traffic Police Brigade said following an online debate over the correct response.
The discussion began after a Threads user argued that motorists should speed up when a light turns yellow. Other users questioned the claim and asked whether stopping or continuing was safer, according to a Liberty Times report.
The Kaohsiung City Police Department Traffic Police Brigade (高雄市政府警察局交通警察大隊) said motorists should reduce their speed when approaching intersections so that they have enough time to respond safely.
Article 206 of Taiwan’s Regulations for Road Traffic Signs, Markings and Signals defines a yellow light as a warning that red is about to appear and that the right of way will end.
If a vehicle’s front wheels have already crossed the stop line when the signal turns yellow, the motorist should continue through the intersection at a lawful speed when it is safe.
If the front wheels have not crossed the line, police recommend slowing down and stopping before it. The motorist should then wait for the next green light.
A yellow light is therefore not an instruction to accelerate. Police said slowing before reaching an intersection reduces the likelihood of having to choose between rushing through and braking sharply.
Under Article 231 of the regulations, yellow-light intervals are generally based on the road’s speed limit:
- Three seconds on roads with limits of 50 kilometers per hour or below
- Four seconds where the limit is 51 to 60 kph
- Five seconds where the limit exceeds 60 kph
A motorist who crosses the stop line after the signal has turned red may be cited for running a red light. Article 53 of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act sets fines of NT$1,800 to NT$5,400.
