{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-189.338","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 189.338","heading":"Limitation of colored lights used in traffic -control signals -- Rules for","body":"vehicular and pedestrian traffic controlled by traffic -control signals --\nAffirmative defense for motorcyclists.\nWhenever traffic is controlled by traffic-control signals exhibiting different colored lights\nor colored lighted arrows, successively one at a time or in combination, only the colors\ngreen, red, and yellow shall be used, except for special pedestrian signals carrying a word\nlegend or symbolic message, and said lights shall indicate and apply to drivers of vehicles\nand pedestrians as follows:\n(1) Green indication.\n(a) Vehicular traffic facing a circular green signal may proceed straight through or\nturn right or left unless a sign at such place prohibits either such turn. Bu t\nvehicular traffic, including vehicles turning right or left, shall yield the right -\nof-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or\nan adjacent crosswalk at the time such signal is exhibited.\n(b) Vehicular traffic facing a green arrow signal, shown alone or in combination\nwith another indication, may cautiously enter the intersection only to make the\nmovement indicated by such arrow, or such other movement as is permitted\nby other indications shown at the same time. Such veh icular traffic shall yield\nthe right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to\nother traffic lawfully using the intersection.\n(c) Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian -control signal, pedestrians facing\nany green signal, except  when the sole green signal is a turn arrow, may\nproceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked crosswalk.\n(d) Vehicular traffic that entered an intersection on a circular green or yellow\nindication is allowed to complete a left turn during the red indication.\n(2) Steady yellow indication.\n(a) Vehicular traffic facing a steady yellow signal is thereby warned that the\nrelated green movement is being terminated or that a red indication will be\nexhibited immediately thereafter when vehicular traffic shall not enter the\nintersection.\n(b) Pedestrians facing a steady yellow signal, unless otherwise directed by a\npedestrian-control signal, are thereby advised that there is insufficient time to\ncross the roadway before a red indication is shown, and no ped estrian shall\nthen start to cross the roadway.\n(3) Steady red indication.\n(a) Vehicular traffic facing a circular red signal alone shall stop at a clearly\nmarked stop line but, if none, then before entering the crosswalk on the near\nside of the intersectio n or, if none, then before entering the intersection and\nshall remain standing until a green indication is shown, except as follows:\n1. The driver of a vehicle which is stopped as required by this paragraph\nwith the intention of making a right turn, may make such right turn, after\nstopping, unless an official sign has been erected prohibiting such\nmovement, but shall yield the right -of-way to pedestrians and other\ntraffic lawfully proceeding through the intersection;\n2. The driver of a vehicle which is stopped as required by this paragraph\nwhose vehicle is in the left lane of a one-way highway with the intention\nof making a left turn onto the left lane of another one -way highway with\nthe flow of traffic, may make such lef t turn, after stopping, unless an\nofficial sign has been erected prohibiting such movement, but shall yield\nthe right -of-way to pedestrians and other traffic lawfully proceeding\nthrough the intersection; and\n3. In instances where there are two (2) right or  left turn lanes, an allowable\nturn under this paragraph may be made from either lane unless a\nregulatory sign specifically prohibits it.\n(b) Cities and counties may, by ordinance, and the department of highways may,\nby regulation, prohibit any such right or left turn against a steady red signal at\nany intersection, which prohibition shall be effective when an official sign\nprohibiting such movement is erected at the intersection.\n(c) Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian -control signal, pedestrians fac ing a\nsteady red signal alone shall not enter the roadway.\n(4) In the event an official traffic -control signal is erected and maintained at a place\nother than an intersection, the provisions of this section shall be applicable except\nas to those provisions  which by their nature can have no application. Any stop\nrequired shall be made at a sign or marking on the pavement indicating where the\nstop shall be made, but in the absence of any such sign or marking the stop shall be\nmade at the signal.\n(5) Whenever an illuminated flashing red or yellow light is used in a traffic signal or\nwith a traffic sign it shall require obedience by vehicular traffic as follows:\n(a) Flashing red (stop signal)  - When a red lens is illuminated with rapid\nintermittent flashes, ope rators of vehicles shall stop at a clearly marked stop\nline but, if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the\nintersection or, if none, then at the point nearest the intersecting roadway\nwhere the operator has a view of approaching traffi c on the intersecting\nroadway before entering it, and the right to proceed shall be subject to the\nrules applicable after making a stop at a stop sign; and\n(b) Flashing yellow (caution signal)  - When a yellow lens is illuminated with\nrapid intermittent fl ashes, operators of vehicles may proceed through the\nintersection or past such signal only with caution.\n(6) Any person operating a motorcycle who violates subsection (3) of this section by\nentering or crossing an intersection controlled by a traffic contr ol signal against a\nsteady red light shall have an affirmative defense to that charge if the person\nestablishes all of the following conditions:\n(a) The motorcycle was brought to a complete stop;\n(b) The traffic control signal continued to show a steady red light for one hundred\ntwenty (120) seconds or the traffic control signal at the intersection has\ncompleted two (2) lighting cycles;\n(c) The traffic control signal was apparently malfunctioning or, if programmed or\nengineered to change to a green light on ly after detecting the approach of a\nmotor vehicle, the signal apparently failed to detect the arrival of a\nmotorcycle; and\n(d) No motor vehicle or person was approaching on the street or highway to be\ncrossed or entered, or any approaching person or vehicle was so far away from\nthe intersection that it did not constitute an immediate hazard.\n(7) The affirmative defense outlined in subsection (6) of this section shall only apply to\na violation for entering or crossing an intersection controlled by a traffic  signal\nagainst a steady red light and shall not provide a defense to any other civil or\ncriminal action.\n(8) In the event a motorcyclist exercises the affirmative defense provisions set forth in\nsubsection (6) of this section, the Transportation Cabinet o r its employees are\nspecifically immune from any and all civil liability arising from any such claim,\nlawsuit, or dispute. Any claim, lawsuit, or dispute against the Transportation\nCabinet as a result of the affirmative defense set forth in subsection (6) of this\nsection, shall be brought using the provisions outlined in KRS Chapter 44.","path":["KRS Chapter 189"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=44640","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:51:42Z","sha256":"de1612bca3ab3389b3ff0d437f0642e5a690f59e701a78cfd9dfd062db3c956f","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-189.337","next":"us-ky/krs-189.340"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}