Fort Myers drivers question safety of new yellow arrows on U.S. 41

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Motorists in Fort Myers are raising concerns about new yellow flashing arrows installed at intersections on U.S. 41. While intended as a safety feature, some believe they might be causing more harm than good.

John Ammons, a longtime commuter on Cleveland Avenue, expressed his worries about these caution lights at a recent WINK Listens event.

"I travel from Victoria Avenue, yes, all the way to Daniels every day for the last 30 years," said Ammons.

He has witnessed numerous accidents and traffic jams along this stretch and feels these lights are contributing to the problem.

"We huddle up sometimes in the morning, going, did you get stuck in that traffic yesterday? Yes, I got stuck," said Ammons.

Ammons described a personal experience where a driver was waved through a yellow light, only to be hit by another car.

"People want to turn left because they have a yellow light. And these people that are backed up are waving them through, not knowing that there's a car coming up in that third lane," said Ammons. "It happened right in front of me one day. I was the second car in the lane when the woman in front of me waved her through, and a car coming from behind struck her. She flipped on her side. We all get out of our car to go over and look at her and take care of her. And I looked at the woman, and I said, You should be charged for this accident because you flagged her through."

WINK News investigated whether these lights improve safety. A study by the U.S. Department of Transportation found that yellow flashing arrows can reduce crashes by 15-50%.

The study suggests these arrows help reduce driver confusion that can occur when left-turning drivers see a green light and mistakenly believe they have the right of way.

WINK News contacted the Fort Myers Police Department and requested crash statistics for the intersection of Cleveland/U.S. 41 in the city.  

From January 2024 to December 2025, there were 656 crashes. 536 of those crashes occurred at signalized intersections with the yellow flashing arrows. However, the yellow flashing arrows are not the stated cause for all the crashes.

Ammons, however, believes a better solution would be to eliminate the yellow left-turning lights.

"I really feel the best solution would be to stop those yellow left-hand turning lights," said Ammons.

If the lights remain, Ammons suggests the Department of Transportation should limit their use during rush hours.

"So let's say between 4 and 8 p.m. during that rush hour time. Let's put it so that they cannot have a yellow flashing left-hand turn," said Ammons.

The aim is to prevent accidents and ensure safer commutes for everyone.

For more on the U.S. DOT study.