What is the function of the yellow light?
1 Answers
In the traffic safety laws, it is clearly stipulated that the yellow light serves as a warning. It is not meant for vehicles to accelerate through but functions as a reminder for the impending red light. The few seconds when the yellow light is on serve as a brief transition period, intended to inform drivers that the red light is about to come on, and they should immediately slow down, stop, and wait for the next green light. The purpose of the yellow light is to warn vehicles in the lane that have just passed the green light in the last half-second, giving them only three seconds to cross the opposing traffic lane; it also warns drivers not to run the yellow light, otherwise, if they collide with oncoming vehicles (those that start moving after seeing the green light), they will bear full responsibility. When a vehicle is crossing the intersection, if it is moving too fast to stop quickly and can completely pass the first line before the three seconds of the yellow light end, it is not considered running a red light. The reason for using red, green, and yellow as traffic light colors is that red conveys a sense of danger associated with blood and fire, to which the human eye is more sensitive; yellow also gives a sense of danger visually, though not as strongly as red; green provides a feeling of safety and calmness and is the most distinguishable from red. These three colors are vivid, visible from a distance, and easy to differentiate, aligning with human visual and cognitive habits.
