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What's the protocol when you come to a red light? State law is clear - drivers must reach a complete stop at the marked line.

Here are a few other pointers from the Illinois Rules of the Road manual to help keep you ticket-free as red-light cameras proliferate in the suburbs.

Red lights

• If there's no white line visible, stop before entering the crosswalk. If no crosswalk exists, stop before entering the intersection. Proceed only when the light is green and the way is clear.

• Stop lines are the white lines painted across lanes at intersections. Drivers must stop their vehicles before crossing the white line.

• Drivers are allowed to make right turns at red lights unless there is a sign prohibiting it. Motorists must stop first and yield to oncoming cars and pedestrians. The law requires drivers to turn into the right-hand lane of the road they are entering.

Yellow lights

• Yellow lights are warnings that the signal is about to change to red. Drivers should safely slow to a stop rather than speed up to get through the intersection. It's prohibited to proceed through an intersection on a red light even if the light just changed from yellow.

• The law prohibits drivers from entering an intersection once the light turns red. If the light turns red after a vehicle is already in the intersection, it is not a violation.

Arrows

• A red arrow indicates motorists cannot proceed until it changes to a green arrow. But you can turn right on a red arrow after stopping and checking for oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

What we've learned

• Some suburban police departments strictly enforce the rules for right turns on red caught on camera, which are reviewed by officers before tickets are issued. Other towns are more lenient concerning rolling rights as long as the driver is going slowly and watching for oncoming traffic.

One other thing

• Keep your eyes peeled for "No Turn on Red" signs, which mean exactly what they say.

Marni Pyke