Permis PrêtFlashing yellow and red lights: what do they mean?
Two lights that look alike but ask for very different things.
Short answer: at a flashing red light, come to a full stop, then yield to vehicles on the other road, exactly as at a stop sign. At a flashing yellow light, slow down, yield to anyone already in the intersection, and carry on without having to stop.
Flashing red: a mandatory stop
Facing a flashing red light, the Code de la sécurité routière (Quebec’s Highway Safety Code) requires you to stop, then yield to any vehicle on the other road that is entering the intersection or close enough to be a danger (s. 360). It is the same duty as at a stop sign; the Code’s stop-sign rule points back to this very section (s. 368). The SAAQ handbook adds that when a flashing red light is used, it goes with a stop sign (Guide de la route, ch. 3, “Le feu rouge clignotant”).
After stopping, go only when the way is clear. Disobeying a red light, flashing or steady, carries 3 demerit points (Regulation respecting demerit points, Schedule, item 18).
Flashing yellow: caution, no mandatory stop
Facing a flashing yellow light, you must slow down, let through the vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians already in the intersection, and then continue (s. 362). The handbook explains that these lights highlight an important conflict point; mounted on a regulatory or hazard sign, they draw your eye to a danger or an obligation (ch. 3, “Feux clignotants”).
On roads where drivers would not expect a traffic light, “Préparez-vous à arrêter” (prepare to stop) signs can carry yellow lights that start flashing when the light ahead, or a railway crossing, is about to turn red. That is your cue to get ready to stop (Guide de la route, ch. 3, “Préparez-vous à arrêter”).
| Light | Must you stop? | Who you yield to |
|---|---|---|
| Flashing red | Yes, a full stop | Vehicles on the other road that are entering or too close |
| Flashing yellow | No, slow down | Vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians already in the intersection |
Other flashing red lights
- Railway crossing: red lights flashing alternately warn of a train. Stop at least 5 m from the tracks (Highway Safety Code, s. 411).
- School bus: when its flashing red lights are on or its stop arm is out, stop more than 5 m away and wait until they are off and folded (s. 460).
- Traffic control gate (work sites, events): facing its red light, stop at least 5 m away; move on only when its yellow light flashes and the gate is up (s. 359.0.1).
And if an intersection’s lights are dark or broken? Treat it as if there were stop signs in every direction, unless other signs take their place (s. 367).
Key points for the test
- Flashing red = full stop, then yield (like a stop sign).
- Flashing yellow = slow down, yield to those already in, keep going.
- Lights out = all-way stop.
Original questions with an explanation and a source, “Road signs and signals” section.
Practise for free
See also
Official sources
- Code de la sécurité routière (Highway Safety Code, CQLR c. C-24.2), ss. 359.0.1, 360, 362, 367, 368, 411 and 460
- Regulation respecting demerit points (CQLR c. C-24.2, r. 37), Schedule, item 18
- SAAQ, Guide de la route (4th ed., 2024, French), ch. 3, “Feux clignotants”, “Le feu rouge clignotant”, “Le feu jaune clignotant” and “Préparez-vous à arrêter”
General information page, current as of 2026-10-28. If in doubt, the official text prevails. Rules can change: check saaq.gouv.qc.ca and legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca.