How to Run a Red Light
I'll tell you exactly how it's done — so you never do it by accident.
Here's the truth: almost nobody plans to run a red light. They run it because they weren't paying attention, or because they decided a few saved seconds were worth gambling with a stranger's life. In 2024, red light running killed 1,119 people and injured more than 141,000 nationwide, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety — and half of those killed weren't even the driver who ran the light. They were pedestrians, cyclists, and people in the other car.
I'm Chris Scanlon — I own South Metro Driving School and I'm a working instructor, so I spend my days riding through intersections with new drivers. This one's about the light everybody underestimates: the solid yellow, that short window between the green and the red. If this confuses you, stay focused — because this is the stuff could save your live.
The yellow light, in plain English
Minnesota's rule is simpler than people make it: when the light turns solid yellow, stop if you can do so safely. If you're too close to stop safely — or stopping would cause a crash — proceed through with caution. That's it. Yellow means your right-of-way is expiring and the red is coming, and once it's red, you may not enter the intersection. That's straight out of the Minnesota Driver's Manual and state law.
How I coach it, approaching an intersection
It's a simple routine:
Maintain your speed, but take your foot off the accelerator.
Cover the brake. Be ready to stop.
Watch for cross traffic and pedestrians.
Briefly look side to side to confirm the cross traffic is actually stopping.
Hold your lane position, and proceed as usual as you exit.
Your eyes should mostly be looking down your path of travel — looking far ahead, taking in everything in front of you. But at intersections you have to glance side to side to confirm the cross streets are stopped. Here's my rule of thumb: while you're glancing, you might miss one light change (green to yellow). That happens. But if you miss two (green to red) you were looking away from the road for way too long.
Why intersections are where it gets ugly
About a quarter of all U.S. traffic deaths — and roughly half of all traffic injuries — happen at intersections, according to the Federal Highway Administration. It is the single most likely place you'll end up in a serious crash. So when you're there, keep it simple and do one thing well: drive.
That's also why I tell students not to change lanes in and around intersections. In Minnesota it isn't flat-out illegal to change lanes near one — but it's foolish. There's just too much going on. You'll often see a solid white line as you approach, setting up lane position. You can legally cross a single solid white line, but it's discouraged. (A double solid white line is a different animal — crossing that one is prohibited.) Near an intersection, pick your lane early and stay in it.
The Lucy test
I tell my students about my dog Lucy — probably the best Golden Retriever on the planet — who rides in the front seat and, I'll admit it, does not wear her seatbelt. #lawbreaker. When a green turns yellow, here's my honest gut check: if I can brake and Lucy won't go flying off the seat, I stop. But if hitting the brakes that hard would send her faceplanting into the dashboard, then I'm already too close — so I keep going. I slow down, look as I go, and continue through with caution. That's the "stop safely, or proceed cautiously" rule, in dog form.
So why do drivers actually run red lights?
In my experience, it comes down to two things.
The first is inattention or distraction — and they go hand in hand. Something was more important than the driving task. These are excuses, nothing more. Here's what the numbers actually show: more than a third of drivers admit to running red lights, even though nearly three out of four say it's completely unacceptable (AAA). And distraction doesn't end the second you put the phone down — AAA research found your attention can stay hijacked for up to 27 seconds afterward, long enough to roll straight through an intersection without ever registering the light. (Daydreaming is a more common distraction than you might think.) The fix is on you: eliminate the distractions you can control, then devote extra concentration into the driving task.
The second reason is uglier. Some people are simply reckless — no regard for human life, no respect for the people around them. The time you "save" by beating a light is a few seconds. It is never worth the danger you create. And if you need proof this is fixable: the IIHS found that red light cameras cut fatal red-light-running crashes by about 21%, and cities that switched their cameras off saw those deaths climb roughly 30%. Running a red light is a choice. So is stopping it.
The bottom line
Next time you see a solid yellow and you're not sure what to do — play it safe. Slow down. Stop if you can without a fuss. If you can't, go through with extra caution. More often than not, it’s best to apply the brakes, and play it safe — that just means waiting for the next green light. It'll be along in a minute.
Enroll with South Metro Driving School
Written by Chris Scanlon, Program Director & Owner of South Metro Driving School
SouthMetroDrivingSchool.com — Info@SouthMetroDS.com — 612-552-1929
South Metro Driving School is a Minnesota State-Certified Driving School serving the south Twin Cities Metro — with core markets in Apple Valley, Rosemount, and Eagan, and growing service in Farmington, Lakeville, and Hastings.
🚦 My take on the rules of the road: Everything here is my honest interpretation of Minnesota's rules of the road — shaped by years in the passenger seat teaching real teens, backed by independent research from official state sources (current as of October 2026), and shared to the best of my ability. It's a helpful starting point, not legal advice; rules and fees change, so always confirm your specifics with Minnesota DVS (https://dps.mn.gov) before you ride or drive.
Found this helpful? Explore my other guides at SouthMetroDrivingSchool.com/blog on permits, road tests, and getting your license — and if I've earned it, I'd be grateful for a 5-Star Google Review (https://g.page/r/CUSzjpMMRH5tEBM/review).
