Final answer:
Tennessee law mandates that yellow traffic lights serve as a warning that the light will soon turn red, requiring drivers to stop. The law does not specify a minimum duration for the yellow light. In emergencies, such as when a pregnant woman is about to give birth in a car, a moral argument could be made for proceeding through a red light, though legally one must always stop.
Step-by-step explanation:
In accordance with Tennessee law, traffic signals must adhere to particular standards. Although the exact minimum duration for a yellow light before it turns red is not explicitly stated in the question, the intent of a traffic signal's yellow light is to inform drivers that they must prepare to stop, as the signal is about to change to red, which requires vehicles to stop at an intersection.
Issues raising ethical concerns, such as the scenario involving a pregnant woman who is about to deliver and the need to reach the hospital quickly, creates a moral dilemma. While traffic laws are clear, in extreme emergencies such as these, the ethical principle known in utilitarianism as Rule Utilitarianism (RU) might suggest that breaking the traffic law to proceed through a red light could, under very specific and critical situations, be considered morally acceptable if doing so results in the greater good—getting the individual the urgent help they require without endangering others.
Still, it's essential to note that this situation is an exceptional circumstance and does not change the legal requirement to stop at a red light. The law's primary concern is safety, and traffic signals contribute to this by ensuring that vehicles slow down and prepare to stop, rather than speeding indiscriminately through intersections.