When approaching a flashing red traffic light, drivers should:
- Drive through the intersection if there is no crossing traffic.
- Continue driving, as they have the right-of-way.
- Stop if a police officer is nearby.
- Treat the light like a stop sign. ✓
Answer: D. Treat the light like a stop sign.
A flashing red light means come to a full stop and treat it the same way you treat a stop sign: stop completely, then go when it is safe.
Why this is the answer
The handbook describes a flashing red light as a stop-and-proceed signal. You must stop completely before entering the crosswalk or the intersection, then move ahead only when you can do it safely. It also notes that traffic on the road you are crossing may not have to stop, so you cannot assume others will wait for you. That is the same idea as a stop sign: a full stop first, then proceed once the way is clear.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Drive through the intersection if there is no crossing traffic. — Driving straight through skips the full stop the handbook requires before you enter the crosswalk or intersection.
- B. Continue driving, as they have the right-of-way. — A flashing red light does not give you the right-of-way; you stop first and then proceed only when you can do so safely.
- C. Stop if a police officer is nearby. — The signal controls you whether or not an officer is there; obeying an officer who is directing traffic is a separate rule from what the light means.
Remember it
Flashing red equals stop sign thinking: full stop, look both ways, then roll when it is clear.
Official handbook: Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7), Chapter 4: Right-of-Way , p. 25