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Traffic lights & signals

Traffic lights and signals

Beyond red-amber-green: what flashing lights, advanced greens and green arrows actually require you to do.

You already know a steady red means stop and a steady green means go if the way is clear. The G1 test likes the trickier signals — the flashing ones and the advanced greens — so it is worth being precise about each.

A traffic signal cycles green (go if clear), then yellow (stop if you safely can), then red (stop).Red — stopWait behind the line until it turns green.Yellow — stop if safeThe light is about to turn red.Green — go if clearProceed when the intersection is clear.
A steady signal cycles green → yellow → red. Each colour asks something different of you.
  • Flashing red
    Treat it exactly like a stop sign: come to a full stop, then go when it is safe.
  • Flashing amber (yellow)
    Slow down and proceed with caution — nobody has a full stop, but everybody should be careful.
  • Advanced (flashing) green or a green arrow
    You may turn left, go straight or turn right — oncoming traffic is being held by a red, so it is your protected moment to turn.
  • Red with a green arrow
    You may go in the direction of the arrow, yielding to pedestrians and any crossing traffic.

When you want to go straight on a red

You cannot. Come to a complete stop and wait for the light to turn green and the way to be clear before entering the intersection. A right turn on a red is allowed after a full stop, unless a sign forbids it, as long as you yield to pedestrians and traffic.

When the lights are dead

If a traffic light is completely out and no one is directing traffic, treat the intersection as an all-way stop: everyone stops, and vehicles proceed in the order they arrived, yielding to the right when in doubt.

💡

An advanced green is a gift — it is the one time you can turn left without fighting oncoming traffic. Take it decisively, but still check for pedestrians.

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