← Using the road
Rule 175: Stopping at traffic lights
Legal requirement — says MUST
Road junctions (rules 170 to 183)
You MUST stop behind the white ‘Stop’ line across your side of the road unless the light is green. If the amber light appears you may go on only if you have already crossed the stop line or are so close to it that to stop might cause a collision.
Why the capitals matter. The Highway Code writes a rule in capitals — MUST or MUST NOT — when it is backed by law, so breaking it is a criminal offence. The rules that do not use capitals are advice.
5 theory test questions on this rule
From the DVSA revision question bank. These are not the questions asked in the real theory test. Each one shows the answer, the explanation, and our own note on why every other option is not it.
Car
- At traffic lights, what does it mean when the amber light shows on its own? Road and traffic signs
- What does a red traffic light mean? Road and traffic signs
- What must you do when the amber light is flashing at a pelican crossing? Attitude
- You’re waiting at a pelican crossing. What does it mean when the red light changes to flashing amber? Rules of the road