An Oregon signal is showing a flashing yellow circular light (not an arrow). What does it mean?
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A.
The signal is broken; find another route.
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B.
Yield to pedestrians only.
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C.
Stop, then proceed when safe.
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D.
Slow down and proceed with caution. Correct
The answer is "Slow down and proceed with caution."
A flashing yellow circular signal means slow down and proceed with caution. It commonly appears at low-volume intersections during off-hours and on the through-street side of a flashing red and flashing yellow pairing. Choice C is the trap for drivers reaching for the flashing red rule, which the manual treats the same as a stop sign; the flashing yellow is its paired through-street signal and only asks for caution.
The traps in the wrong answers
A. The signal is broken; find another route.
Whether it is running that way on purpose or because the signal is out of order, a flashing yellow is a defined indication: slow down and proceed with caution. It does not mean go find another route. This answer treats any unusual signal state as a malfunction to avoid, rather than reading the flashing yellow as one of the defined indications the manual expects drivers to obey.
B. Yield to pedestrians only.
The obligation is broader: slow and proceed with caution for cross traffic as well as pedestrians. This answer borrows from the flashing yellow arrow rule that names pedestrians and oncoming traffic, and applies that narrower scope to the circular signal.
C. Stop, then proceed when safe.
That describes a flashing red. A flashing yellow does not require a stop. This answer collapses every flashing signal into a stop, ignoring the manual's split between flashing red (treated as a stop sign) and flashing yellow (caution only).
This question tests your knowledge of Traffic Lights in Oregon. Source: Oregon Driver Manual, "Traffic Signals," p.16..
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