I once had a bad experience with a yellow light (actually more than one, but the others are not quite so interesting to tell about).

I was driving home from the grocery store on a Sunday afternoon. It has just rained and the roads were very slick. I was going down the road at around 30mph, when the light in front of me turned yellow. The problem was, I was at the exact distance from the light where I couldn't decide weather to floor it and zoom on through or to slam on the brakes and stop. I (stupidly) thought it over for about 3 seconds, debating what do in my mind. But by the time I was done thinking about it I was so close to the light that the only choice was to keep going, but for some reason my foot pressed the brake pedal... hard. The wheels locked, and the car slid violently as it skidded over the big white paint stripe (in the rain those are extremely slippery). I heard a horrible bending, scraping, screeching sound coming from the car as all this happened. I to this day am not sure what it was, the wheels, the brakes, or just some crap in the trunk getting knocked forward. But whatever it was it couldn't have been too bad as the car is still running fine

Anyway, the moral of the story is: if you are ever unsure of what to do at a yellow light, floor it!

what car were you in?

I admit, that I ignore one red light very often, advisedly (if no police or other potentially dangerous people are around). It's in our village, directly in front of the town house. The police is on the other side, but mainly the're noone there. Countryside, even if we are very close to the Ruhr-area.

This lights is a kind of annoyance-light. It in a 30-zone and always changes fast between red and green. If a car comes closer, it will always be red. I'm fucked up with this stupid way of traffic calming, that I mostly ignore it.

The white Camry. If I remember correctly, this happened before I bought my Mercury.

It didn't have ABS?

ABS? It's a 1988 Toyota, CCF

Well it was invented a long ago now, it could had have it

At that time it was still a luxury item.
Now it is on all cars sold in EU, but in USA if I remember well it is still not so common? (i.e. often optional)

Yes, on most subcompacts, compacts, and even some mid-size cars it's optional (some subcompacts don't even have it for an option). It's usually standard on most full-size and luxury cars though.

Some insurance companies (that insure Travel-Trailers) offer discounts for a T-V (Tow-Vehicle) with advanced braking systems (i.e. ABS, ESP, Electronic-Brake-Force-Distribution EBFD, and Emergency Brake Assist/Brake Assist)

My vehicle has all of the above brake systems, so I was well qualified for the discount. The Travel-Trailer itself has it’s own set of brakes which are controlled by the Expedition.

I agree with Max, every full-size vehicle I have seen, including a good portion of mid-size have (at least) a basic ABS system. I would not want a daily driver without it. Studies have shown that a vehicle with a basic ABS system (not including any other advanced braking systems to complement it) have a less chance of being in an accident.

Accidentally found again on the search for the abandoned-car-thread. The pics were already listed, as we had a similat thread in our plate-forum

My dad's 1981 VW Passat LS (owned between 1986 and 1996), not enough distance to the car in front:



My NSU 1200 C (owned between 1994 and 1997), 38 km/h in a 30 km/h school zone:



The K 70:



The Passat (owned between 1999 and 2004), also in a 30-Zone:



The Omega:



Catched by Germany's busiest speed camera on the A2 nearby Bielefeld
http://bilder.bild.de/fotos-skaliert/deutschlands-fleissigste-radarfalle-autobahn-a2-bielefeld-17356546_mbqf-1313142975-19367332/4,h=343.bild.jpg

Quite new, but already the second most known speed camera after those at the "Elzer Berg" on the A3 from Köln to Frankfurt:

http://www.prestigecars.de/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/elzer-berg.jpg

On old pic of it with a rare sight; posted specially for dsl

http://file1.npage.de/004816/32/bilder/a3_elzer_berg.jpg

Something is wrong here: