A crosswalk near midtown Toronto. In Ontario, crosswalks that aren’t at intersections are called pedestrian crossovers.Jordan Chittley/The Globe and Mail
When the yellow lights are flashing at a crosswalk but nobody is crossing, do I legally have to stop? – May, Calgary
At crosswalks, stop for pedestrians – not flashing lights, police say.
“The flashing lights are [a reminder],” Corporal Troy Savinkoff, an Alberta RCMP spokesman, said in an email. “Drivers are expected to slow down or stop [and yield] the right of way to all pedestrians at a crosswalk.”
While some crosswalks have a button that pedestrians push to activate yellow flashing lights, in Alberta, you must yield to pedestrians in any crosswalk, whether it has flashing lights or not, Savinkoff said.
If you don’t yield, you could face an $810 fine and four demerit points, he said.
But if the lights are flashing and nobody is crossing or about to cross, you don’t have to stop, Savinkoff said.
While the rules vary by province, they’re generally similar: drivers should slow down and watch out for anyone crossing or about to cross at any crosswalk.
“Look around carefully, as sometimes pedestrians may be difficult to see in low light, bad [weather] conditions or if they are wearing dark clothing,” B.C. Highway Patrol (BCHP) Sergeant Patrick Davies said in an email.
In British Columbia, failing to yield to pedestrians carries a $167 fine and two demerit points.
In Ontario, the names get confusing – crosswalks that aren’t at intersections are called pedestrian crossovers, which often have flashing amber lights, said Sean Shapiro, a road safety expert and former Toronto traffic cop.
“In a crossover, you’re required to stop if there are pedestrians on the roadway,” Shapiro said. “Sometimes people have left the roadway and yet the lights are still flashing because the timer is strangely long.”
Also, you still have to yield to pedestrians even if the lights aren’t flashing, he said.
Get the message across?
So if you have stopped for pedestrians, do you have to wait for them to get all the way across?
In most provinces, the law either requires you to wait until a pedestrian gets to the middle of the road or it doesn’t say where you have to stop.
In Alberta, the law can be interpreted to mean that you must wait until pedestrians reach the other side or the median, if there is one, Alberta RCMP’s Savinkoff said.
And at crossovers in Ontario, you’re required to wait for pedestrians to get across, Shapiro said.
“This is something that nobody seems to understand,” Shapiro said. “Because I watch people drive around pedestrians who are still crossing all the time.”
How far should you be from the crosswalk? The rules vary by province, but we didn’t find any that list a specific distance.
Generally, you can’t stop inside the crosswalk or past the painted stop line if there is one.
If there isn’t a stop line, “common sense applies” and you should stop at least a couple of metres before the crosswalk, Savinkoff said.
Some drivers slow down but keep rolling toward the crosswalk, which can leave pedestrians unsure whether it’s safe to step out. While that’s not necessarily illegal as long as they don’t enter the crosswalk, it’s a bad idea, Shapiro said.
“I don’t understand what people’s issue is with actually coming to a complete stop,” he said.
Never assume?
Still, pedestrians shouldn’t assume that cars will always see them and stop in time, BCHP’s Davies said.
“Wait for the vehicles to stop and then proceed while being aware of your surroundings,” Davies said. “Preferably make eye contact with the drivers.”
Drivers are increasingly distracted by devices, including their cars’ infotainment systems, he said. But even if drivers are paying attention to the road, “modern vehicles have increasingly large blind spots,” Davies said.
There have been three pedestrians killed in Calgary so far this year – including a toddler in a stroller. Last year, the city saw 15 pedestrian deaths – the highest it has seen in the last 11 years.
We asked several cities how many pedestrian fatalities they’ve had so far this year and didn’t immediately hear back from all of them. Toronto has had five pedestrian fatalities so far for 2026. Vancouver and Montreal haven’t reported any.
In 2023, the most recent year with numbers available, 298 pedestrians were killed on Canadian roads, according to Statistics Canada. It’s unclear how many of those collisions were in crosswalks.
It’s a good idea for pedestrians to wear lighter clothing and a reflector or light at night, Davies said.
“Ultimately, it is the driver’s responsibility to yield to pedestrians,” he said, adding that pedestrians should make sure cars are stopping before crossing even if they’re at a crosswalk with flashing lights.
“But pedestrians [should] give drivers the best chance to see them and stop in time.”
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