A flashing yellow left arrow means you may turn left, but your turn is not protected. Oncoming traffic has a green light. You must yield to oncoming cars and to people in the crosswalk, and turn only when there is a safe gap.
It is the signal that replaced the old "left turn yield on green" in many cities, and new drivers often read it as a go signal. It isn't.
Flashing yellow arrow vs green arrow
| Signal | Can you turn left? | Who has the right-of-way? |
|---|---|---|
| Green arrow | Yes, and oncoming traffic has red | You (a "protected" turn) |
| Flashing yellow arrow | Yes, after yielding | Oncoming traffic and pedestrians |
| Solid yellow arrow | The flashing period is ending; stop if you safely can | Whoever gets the next green |
| Red arrow | No | Everyone else |
How to turn on a flashing yellow arrow
- Pull up to the stop line, or into the intersection if your state allows it and there's room, with your wheels pointed straight ahead.
- Look for oncoming cars, including ones hidden behind a car turning left from the other side.
- Check the crosswalk you are about to cross. People walking have a signal too.
- Turn when the gap is big enough for you to clear the lane before the next oncoming car arrives.
- If the arrow turns solid yellow while you wait, finish the turn only if you are already in the intersection and it is safe.
Why cities switched to it
The flashing yellow arrow was added to the federal traffic-control manual (MUTCD) because drivers understood it better than a green ball for a turn that must yield. The meaning is the same as turning left on a plain green light: you may go, you must yield. The arrow just makes it obvious that the turn is yours to judge.
Practice it
Signal Lab shows you the light and the traffic and asks what you do. Getting the flashing yellow arrow right a few times makes the real one feel familiar.
Practice the flashing yellow arrow in Signal LabStart ›The rule and its sources are on our rules of the road page. The related rule for any left turn is left turns yield to oncoming traffic. For how two cars facing each other share a stop sign, see who goes first at a 4-way stop.
