All-way stops: refresher course
Weather can certainly be a factor when driving, especially at this time of year. It would seem that we are now getting used to the idea of driving through snow and ice in frigid temperatures, but what we weren’t prepared for the other morning were the high winds and the impact they had on the morning commute.
The strong winds seemed to be a factor in traffic lights malfunctioning at many intersections in and around the GTA. Either the lights were completely out all ways, or they were flashing red. We had a lot of calls from disgruntled motorists complaining that many were not following the proper rules of the road when driving through these intersections. So, I thought that perhaps a refresher course on these rules might be helpful.
First of all, if you come across an intersection with flashing amber lights you are to proceed with caution. But if they lights are flashing red, or if they are out, then you must come to a complete stop.
The right of way goes to the vehicle that has arrived at the intersection first. If more than one vehicle arrives at the same time, then you defer to the driver on the right. If two drivers are facing each other and one wants to make a left turn, the right of way goes to the driver going straight through the intersection. When there are multi-lanes, then all cars that are stopped side-by-side can travel though the intersection together when it is their turn to go. However, if you arrive at a multi-lane stop after another driver travelling in the same direction has entered the intersection, you must stop and wait your turn.
Failure to follow these rules can bring about a charge under the Highway Traffic Act. The charge is “Flashing Red Light - Fail To Stop” (Section 144-Subsection 21) and carries with it a $110 fine and three demerit points.
So, when we suggest you treat an intersection with lights flashing red or lights out as an all-way stop, it is not simply a courtesy. It is the law.
January 29th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Thanks for explaining this well.
It especially bothers me that people don’t understand a traffic light flashing amber (check the Driver’s Handbook!). For some reason they think they must stop.
This gets especially annoying because engineers designed the amber flashers for lower volume intersections, where a main thoroughfare crosses a lower volume side street, with the full intent of keeping the main street flowing. In other provinces and states, the cities puposefully change the lights to this mode on off-peak hours; consequently, drivers there are fully used to not stopping at a flashing amber — they see it all the time and know what to do. It’s something Ontario cities should try. It would even save energy.
Someday soon an Ontarian stopping at a flashing amber will be rear-ended by an out-of-province driver.
Wouldn’t it be better to say the following? “If the lights are completely off or if they are flashing red in all directions, treat the intersection as an all-way stop. However, traffic approaching a flashing amber light always has the right of way [over traffic facing a flashing red] [and can proceed with caution without stopping].”
Please NEVER say: “If the traffic lights aren’t working…” because people misinterpret “aren’t working” to mean any intersection light that is flashing red or amber.
Put another way: Always stop when facing a traffic light that is flashing red or that is completely off. Then, to determine whether you can proceed, first check all the lights to see whether cross traffic has flashing amber. If they do, let them all pass, then proceed only when the way is clear. If they do not, then treat it as an all-way stop.