Do You Follow The Amarillo 3 Second Rule?
For most, the "3 second rule" for drivers is to maintain 3 seconds between you and the vehicle in front of you. A lot of us learned that in driver's ed. Leaving a gap like that can allow you time to react if the car in front of you suddenly brakes. But I have discovered in Amarillo, there is a different 3 second rule that we should really be following.
I am dubbing it the "Amarillo 3 Second Rule" and it is to wait 3 seconds after your traffic light turns green before you step on the gas. Will this drum up honks from the vehicle behind you? Most likely. But will it keep you from getting t-boned? Most likely. Every single day that I drive in Amarillo I witness folks running traffic lights. It doesn't matter if you are on Soncy, 34th, or just a leisurely stroll down Western. And I'm not just talking about the light turning red as the car is in the intersection. I witness almost daily cars that still come barreling through the light after it has turned red. I have lived in 3 states and various cities, and by far Amarillo is the worst I have ever seen with red light runners.
Why do so many Amarillo drivers run red lights? I have no clue. Maybe it is because we have so many lights that people just get tired of the stop and go. Red light camera are controversial but they have proven to help this problem. However, I don't think we will see them added to any more intersections in Amarillo anytime soon. So in the meantime, you should take a pause after the light turns green. It could save you, your vehicle, and someone else from injury. People are going to keep running red lights, at least you can be prepared.