There is a reason that rules are made: so that they can t be broken. However, are there certain situations certain extenuating circumstances that might allow for an exception to be made to this rule? For example, if you have noticed, many cities and towns have started to put in sensors that go with street lights. The idea is that there is a sensor planted just underneath the surface of the road that can detect when a car has come to a stop at a stoplight. As soon as the sensor detects that a vehicle is present, the lights will usually cycle through fairly quickly so that the person gets a green light and is allowed to proceed and/or make their turn.
However, in many cities and towns, these censored lights haven t quite caught on yet. The whole point of having censored lighting is to help keep the flow of traffic moving. After all, who wants to sit at a stoplight for what feels like an eternity? In the area that I am from on Long Island, New York, sensors are still a fairly new concept in many small towns. In the past, when I was growing up and first had my driver s license, my friends went by the “5 minute” or “cycle” rule. The rule was that if we sat at a light for what felt like more than five minutes, then it was ok to run the light if no one was coming. Similarly, if you didn t want to follow the “five minute” rule, you could follow the “cycle” rule which allowed you to run a red light based on the following factors: a) There was no other cars in the area, therefore making it safe to run the light and b) The light had already went through at least three cycles, never giving you the green light to proceed (This is only applicable if you are preparing to make a turn onto a road).
As a general rule, however, you should never break the rules of the roadways because they are there to protect us from ourselves. Could you imagine a world that is as populated as it currently is and there were not stoplights? What would you do? More importantly, would other people know what to do? Often times, for instance, I have come across a situation in which there is a four way stop (with stop signs versus lights) and there are several vehicles who have approached the intersection. However, these people don t seem to have a clue as to who should go first or who should wait and allow someone else to proceed. In fact, what needs to happen is that whoever arrives at the stop first should be the one who is allowed to proceed.
When you are driving down the road, you should always exercise caution as well as good judgment for both yourself as well as the other drivers who are around you. Additionally, if you come across one of the situations above, make sure that you use your better judgment to make the right decision. It will be one that you don t regret.