Flashing yellow lights being installed along Route 66 in Joplin/Duquesne

(From MODOT)

Flashing Yellow Left-Turn Arrows Being

Installed along Route 66 in Joplin/Duquesne

Joplin/Duquesne - Southwest Missouri drivers soon will encounter a new type of traffic signal indication - flashing yellow left-turn arrows -- with the first installation in Joplin along Route 66 (7th Street) between Range Line and Route 249, the Missouri Department of Transportation said. Seven traffic signals will be modified and the new flashing yellow left-turn arrows are scheduled to be activated by the end of April, depending on weather conditions. The signal modifications are being made as part of the intersection improvement project along Route 66. The changeover will take place after morning rush hour. How It Works Drivers getting a flashing yellow left-turn arrow can make a left turn, but only after first yielding to oncoming vehicles and pedestrians, which have the right of way. A sign mounted next to the left-turn signal display will explain the meaning of the flashing yellow arrow, saying, "Left Turn Yield On Flashing Arrow." When the flashing yellow left-turn arrow stops flashing and becomes a steady yellow left-turn arrow, drivers should treat the non-flashing yellow left-turn arrow just like a standard yellow signal and prepare to stop before the red light appears. More Flashing Yellow Left-Turn Arrows Coming Under a change in federal traffic regulations, Missouri is gradually switching to flashing yellow left-turn arrows at intersections which now have a circular green light for yielding left turns. A similar signal was installed at Route 39 and I-44 in Mount Vernon last December. While that  was the first location in MoDOT's Southwest District, MoDOT is already using this type of left-turn indication elsewhere in Missouri, including Lebanon. The first ones in the state were installed in the St. Louis area starting in October 2006. More are on the way Any new signals put up in the region allowing a yielding left-turn will be installed with flashing yellow left-turn arrows. A Safety Measure Use of flashing yellow left-turn arrows is considered an improvement to safety at signalized intersections. It provides a more direct message of caution to drivers to yield to oncoming traffic than does the circular green light. MoDOT/Southwest Traffic Engineer Joe Rickman said national studies show "the flashing yellow left-turn arrow had fewer crashes than the traditional green ball yielding left-turn indication." Remember: A flashing yellow left-turn arrow means you must yield to oncoming through-traffic and turn left cautiously only when you see an opening in the traffic coming toward you. For more information: http://www.modot.org/stlouis/links/flashingyellowarrows.htm