Tema 12: traffic lights in the DGT exam
Four kinds of light and a handful of colours. The law says 'amarilla', not 'amber', and green does not excuse blocking the junction.
Reviewed on 6 October 2026 · sources: BOE and DGT
There are four kinds of light and a handful of colours. The exam asks what each one means and what it does not.
- Steady red bans passing; steady amber obliges you to stop just as red does; green lets you pass with priority.
- Green does not authorise entering the junction if you will end up stuck inside.
- Flashing amber requires extreme caution and, where applicable, giving way.
- A red cross bans that lane; a green down-arrow allows it.
Watch out: Steady amber does not mean 'speed up': it means stop, except when you are already on top of it.
In DrivingLingo: practise with the road signs, review the junctions and right of way topic and the officers' signals one, and do .
Source: RGC anexo I, apdos. 4.2, 4.2.b), 4.2.d), 4.2.e) and 4.3; RGC art. 59.1.
Key rules of topic 12
Red, amber, green
Steady red bans passing; steady amber obliges you to stop just as red does; green lets you pass with priority.
- On red you cross neither the light nor the nearest stop line before it.
- Amber only excuses you if, when it lights, you are already too close to stop safely.
Source: RGC anexo I, apdo. 4.2
Green is not a free pass
Green permits passage with priority, but does not authorise entering the junction if you will end up stuck inside.
- The same applies to a pedestrian crossing or a cycle crossing.
Source: RGC anexo I, apdo. 4.2.e); RGC art. 59.1
Flashing lights
Flashing amber requires extreme caution and, where applicable, giving way; it does not excuse other stop obligations.
- Flashing red, or two alternating reds, ban passage before a level crossing, movable bridge, ferry pontoon or fire-station exit.
Source: RGC anexo I, apdo. 4.2.b) y 4.2.d)
The arrows
A green arrow on a black circle lets you go that way whatever other light is lit.
- You proceed with care, yielding to traffic in the lane you join and to anyone crossing.
- A black arrow on a red or amber light does not change its meaning: it just narrows it to that move.
Source: RGC anexo I, apdo. 4.2.f) y 4.2.g)
Lane lights
A red cross bans that lane; a green down-arrow allows it.
- On a red cross you must leave the lane as quickly as possible.
- A white or amber oblique down-arrow means the lane closes shortly and you must move to the one it points at.
Source: RGC anexo I, apdo. 4.3
Pedestrians and others
A flashing green pedestrian means the time to finish crossing is running out, not that they should run or turn back.
- When the lit shape is a cycle, the light addresses cycles only.
- White bars on black are for trams and scheduled buses: horizontal bans, vertical allows straight on.
Source: RGC anexo I, apdos. 4.1 y 4.4
Learn the rule, then practise it
Study topic 12 step by step: the rule, its citation and exam-style questions.
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