Do most people understand the meaning of yellow traffic light?

united-kingdom

To quote the relevant section of the Highway Code

AMBER means ‘Stop’ at the stop line. You may go on only if the AMBER appears after you have crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to pull up might cause an accident

Note the last clause - if stopping might cause an accident, you shouldn't stop. Not 'would' cause an accident, not 'could' cause an accident' - 'might'. This is a very loose rule!

You should always be aware of how close the vehicle behind is. The fact that they are too close to stop safely doesn't make it OK for you to cause an accident - in general, "I was technically in the right" is not a good argument for knowingly causing an accident...

france

France has actually three meanings to a yellow light :

• The standard Green --> Red cycle with a solid yellow light

In which case the law (Article R412-31 of the road code) states :

Tout conducteur doit marquer l'arrêt devant un feu de signalisation jaune fixe, sauf dans le cas où, lors de l'allumage dudit feu, le conducteur ne peut plus arrêter son véhicule dans des conditions de sécurité suffisantes.

All translations are mine

All drivers must stop at a solid yellow traffic light, except in the case where, when the light turns yellow, the driver can't stop anymore in sufficent safety conditions

• Blinking yellow light on the bottom of the light box (where a green light is normally) :

Equivalent to a green light, but turned on when there is a particular danger ahead.

In which case, the driver is required to follow the right of way rule and not the standard assumption of priority at a traffic light.

• Blinking yellow in the middle

It happens if the traffic light is broken, or it is sometimes enabled at night because there are such low traffic volumes that traffic lights are deemed useless

It means that the intersection is not under traffic light regulation at all, and right of way must be followed at all times

They seem to view the yellow light as “go before it turns red if you can, " which contradicts what I read from the Florida Driver's Handbook.

As far as the law is concerned, there is no requirement to try to stop on a yellow, even if they are able. As long as they enter the crosswalk or enter the intersection before the light turns red, they have not violated the law. So while "go before it turns red if you can" might not be the recommended practice, if they actually manage to enter the crosswalk or the intersection before the light turns red, it is legal.

According to this article, page 19-23 (page 20-24 in the PDF), only the states of Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Virginia, and Wisconsin have a "restrictive yellow". All other states, including Florida, have a "permissive yellow".

The specific Florida statute on the yellow light is in section 316.075(b)(1):

Vehicular traffic facing a steady yellow signal is thereby warned that the related green movement is being terminated or that a red indication will be exhibited immediately thereafter when vehicular traffic shall not enter the intersection.

This is simply a warning, and there is no command or requirement here. The section on red light is in section 316.075(c)(1):

Vehicular traffic facing a steady red signal shall stop before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection and shall remain standing until a green indication is shown; however:

Here, the requirement is, once they face a red light, to stop before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection (if there is such a crosswalk), or before entering the intersection (if there is such a crosswalk). If the person has already entered the crosswalk (if there is such a crosswalk) or intersection (if there is such a crosswalk) before the light turns red, then they cannot be in violation of this section.

Of course, the fact that it might be legal for them to try to make it past the line while the light is yellow, before it turns red, if you were not in front of them, does not give them the right to honk at you for stopping, which you are fully entitled to do on a yellow light.

The whole point of the yellow light is to make sure people don’t get hit with a fine (or points on their license) if they go through a red light that turned red just when they were about to cross the relevant line.

Basically it means “you have to stop, but if it’s unsafe to do so/too late for you to stop, you won’t be fined like you would for running a red light”.

Timing of the yellow light is usually defined by code, based on legal speed limits, taking into account reaction time and safe stopping distance at that speed.

Yes, you should stop, but only if you can safely do so (safely for you, your passengers, and the vehicles behind you), so no sitting on the brakes or emergency stop, just a regular stop.

Many people do indeed consider that yellow lights mean the opposite: “quick, it’s going to turn red, speed up to cross before it does”, and they’re likely to not like it if you don’t follow their “rules”.

Unless you stopped too abruptly, there is no valid reason for them to honk and you should just ignore it.

Of course if the intersection is complex (different lights for different lanes/directions), or in places where you can still turn right at a red light (with or without a stop, depending on jurisdiction), then the situation may be different. If you stopped when you shouldn’t (the yellow wasn’t for you) or remained standing at the red light when you are allowed to turn, then you would be in the wrong.

Your understanding is correct. In most states steady yellow means "Stop, if it is safe to do so". I think this probably true for all states but I'm too lazy to check 50 websites.

Do most people understand that yellow light means "stop if you can" instead of "go if you can"?

Both. In practice many drivers will assess if you can safely make it through the intersection before the light turns red. Technically that's not the intent of the law but people don't like sitting in front of a red light.

Ignore the honk.