Traffic signal response for autonomous vehicles

A system comprising one or more computing devices configured to:

• identify a time when a traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;
• estimate a location of a vehicle at the identified time that a traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;
• detect a starting point of an intersection associated with a traffic signal light;
• determine whether the estimated location of the vehicle is at least a threshold distance past the starting point into the intersection;
• when the estimated location of the vehicle is determined to be at least a threshold distance past the starting point into the intersection, determine that the vehicle should continue through the intersection;
• after determining that the vehicle should go through the intersection, estimate, a second location of the vehicle at the time that the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;
• and
• determine whether the estimated second location of the vehicle is at least a second threshold distance past the starting point, wherein the second threshold distance is less than the threshold distance.

A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:

• identifying a time when a traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;
• estimating a location of a vehicle at the identified time that a traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;
• detecting a starting point of an intersection associated with a traffic signal light;
• determining whether the estimated location of the vehicle is at least a threshold distance past the starting point into the intersection;
• when the estimated location of the vehicle is determined to be at least a threshold distance past the starting point into the intersection, determining that the vehicle should continue through the intersection;
• after determining that the vehicle should go through the intersection, estimating, a second location of the vehicle at the time that the traffic signal light will turn from yellow to red;
• and
• determining whether the estimated second location of the vehicle is at least a second threshold distance past the starting point, wherein the second threshold distance is less than the threshold distance.