Flashing Yellow Arrow for Left Turns

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The Federal Highway Administration has adopted the flashing yellow arrow left-turn traffic signal as a new national standard where there is a seperate left-turn arrow signal.

The city of Rio Rancho is implementing the standard when new traffic signals are installed and when existing signals are reconstructed.

The flashing yellow arrow for left turns is part of a four-arrow signal display, which includes:

	Steady red arrow: Stop, no left turns allowed
	Steady yellow arrow: Prepare to stop, or prepare to complete your left turn if you are within the intersection
	Flashing yellow arrow: left turns allowed, but you must yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians
	Steady green arrow: Left turns allowed and protected

View a YouTube video created by the Michigan Department of Transportation that shows flashing yellow arrows for left turns in operation.
                      
The addition of the flashing yellow arrow for left turns to federal standards governing traffic signals is the result of the successful operation of the signal over the past several years in locations across the United States, and a nationwide study that demonstrated the signal prevented crashes, moved more traffic through an intersection and provided additional traffic management flexibility.