What does flashing amber mean at a pelican crossing?
Flashing amber means give way to anyone still on the crossing, then go on with caution once it is clear. You MUST give way to any pedestrians on it while the amber flashes. If nobody is on the crossing, you may go, and you do not need to wait for green.
You know the rule. Can you spot it on the road?
Try it in a free scene
One question decides it: is anyone on the crossing?
At a pelican crossing the flashing amber comes straight after the red ‘Stop’ light. It leaves the decision with you, so look along the whole crossing, including the far half. The rule says any pedestrians on the crossing, and that means the person nearly at the other side as well as the one right in front of you. A pelican crossing that goes straight across the road is one crossing, even when there is a central island, so you MUST wait for pedestrians crossing from the other side of the island.
If someone is on it, stay where you are. When they have finished and no one else is crossing, go on with care.
Two opposite ways to get it wrong
Both of these come from treating the light as an instruction on its own, when what you do depends on what you can see.
- Going as soon as it flashes. It is easy to think the pedestrians’ time is up and they should have cleared. Someone walking slowly can still be crossing when the amber starts, and the MUST still applies to them.
- Sitting still until green. Once the crossing is clear you may go on, and staying put only keeps the traffic behind you waiting.
If your light turns green and someone is still crossing
A green light does not clear the crossing for you. The Code says to give way to anyone still crossing after the signal for vehicles has changed to green, and that this applies to all crossings. Moving off before a pedestrian has completely cleared the crossing is one of the common faults DVSA lists, so watch them all the way to the kerb before you pull away.
How we mark each mistake
Practice marks only: on a real test, the examiner decides. How faults work.
You did not give way on flashing amber Dangerous fault
When the amber light is flashing, you MUST give way to anyone on the crossing. The man was still crossing into your side of the road.
You waited longer than you needed to Driving fault
Once the crossing is clear, flashing amber means you may go on with caution. Waiting for the green light held up the car behind you.
What the Highway Code says
Where this fits on the test
Top 10 fail reason: not responding appropriately to traffic lights. DVSA driving skills: Pedestrian crossings.