> Same here. Our traffic laws are set at the state level, but everywhere 
> I've ever been, the technical is "Yellow means stop if it's safe to stop 
> and you'll not be in the intersection. If it's red and you're in the 
> interesection, you're risking a ticket."

In the UK at least, the law says that you must not go over the white line 
that is painted across the road next to the signal, if it is on red.  That 
is what the cameras look for, they take two photos that include the signal 
and the line in the frame, if they both show a red signal and the first is 
your car behind the line and second is your car ahead of the line, then 
that's proof enough to be fined.

I always wondered if the light was red (and there were no other cars 
around), whether it would be technically legal to drive on the other side of 
the road (into the oncoming traffic) and drive through the intersection. 
Technically you haven't crossed the white line that the signal is telling 
you to stop at (it only goes half way across the road).

> In other words, if you're going slow enough, stop when it turns yellow 
> even if you could have made it through on the yellow. It doesn't mean 
> "this is your last chance to make it, so slam on the gas."

Quite often though, people are driving above the speed limit, so the amber 
phase is maybe not long enough for them to have enough warning to stop, or 
to get over the line before it goes red.  Their only option to avoid running 
a red is to speed up.

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