chapter 4 — rules of the road Right-of-way at intersections  Intersections controlled by traffic lights  driving tip driving tip driving tip Sometimes traffic lights  stop working properly.  The lights can go out,  or all four lights can  start flashing. Treat the  intersection like a four-way  stop if this happens. If you didn’t see the light  turn green, then it may  be stale. You should be  prepared to stop.  It is illegal to back up into  an intersection or over a  crosswalk. Right-of-way rules determine who must yield when more than  one road user wants to move into the same space. It’s important  to know these rules because they keep traffic moving in an  orderly way. But remember that you can’t always count on the  other person to follow the rules. And even if you have the right- of-way, it’s still your responsibility to do all you can to avoid a  crash.  For information on right-of-way rules for crosswalks and railway  crossings, see  chapter 6, sharing the road .  Most people know who has the right-of-way at intersections  controlled by traffic lights, but they may not understand how to  correctly respond to these lights. Here are some pointers that  will help you stay safe at intersections:  steady red light  — a red light means that you must come to a  complete stop. You must wait for the light to turn green before  you go straight ahead.  After you have stopped and made sure the intersection is clear  of all vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians, you may turn right or  turn left onto a one-way street. Watch for signs prohibiting you  from making these turns on a red light. steady green light  — green means go only if the intersection is  clear, and it is safe to do so.  43 • point of no return — as you approach a stale green light —  taking into consideration your speed, the road conditions  and the traffic behind you — decide on a point where you  will no longer be able to stop safely. This is sometimes called  the point of no return. When you reach this point, keep on  going even if the light changes to yellow. You need to judge  accurately so you won’t be in the intersection when the light  turns red.  – in many areas, the crosswalk signal will change from a  white figure to an orange hand just before the light turns  yellow, or will show how many seconds are left before the  traffic light will change. – are there a lot of cars lined up on the cross street waiting  for the light to change?  • stale green light — a stale green light is one that has been  green for a long time, and is about to turn yellow. If you  didn’t see the light turn green, then it may be stale. Look for  additional clues: