Understanding de traffic light

Mar 08, 2026 Dem Boys Seh, Features / Columnists

(Kaieteur News) – Dem boys seh de Traffic Department come out warning drivers that de amber light does not mean “speed up.” Apparently, some drivers does treat amber like if it is de last lap of a race.

Dem boys seh since confusion seem to set in, is best we explain de traffic lights again—slowly—so everybody could understand.

Green light: Go. But dem boys seh some drivers does interpret green as “press accelerator till de engine start to cry.” De light say go, yes, but it ain’t say turn de road into a racetrack.

Red light: Stop. Simple enough. Even school children understand that one. But somehow plenty big, educated drivers does see red and still sail through de junction like if dem late for a meeting with de Prime Minister.

Now we come to de famous amber light, de one causing all de bacchanal.

Dem boys seh amber does not mean “hurry up before de red ketch yuh.” It mean be ready to stop. If you far enough from de stop line, you ease on de brake and stop nice and proper.

But if de light change when you right up close—so close that braking sudden would leave you parked in de middle of de junction looking embarrassed—well then you continue through.

Dem boys seh that is where some confusion does start, especially when de police pull over a motorist and accuse he of running a red light. Plenty drivers insist that when de light change to amber they were already so close to de line that stopping would require brakes stronger than common sense.

Dem boys seh if you slam brakes in that situation you might end up causing de car behind you to decorate your bumper. But some police don’t understand that at all.

Now don’t get dem boys wrong. Plenty drivers really does run red lights boldfaced. Some of dem does treat red like it is merely a darker shade of green. Those drivers deserve de ticket and maybe a little lecture besides.

But amber is not supposed to be a trap. It is a warning that red coming just now.

So dem boys seh motorists must remember: amber mean prepare to stop.

And dem boys also seh it wouldn’t hurt if de police wah enforcing de rule remember that too.

Talk half. Leff half.

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amber light, speeding, traffic department, traffic light, Understanding

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