I suspect I was unclear. A permanent flashing yellow light on top of a pole (not a traffic light) will appear next to a zebra crossing, and it indicates "this i

I suspect I was unclear. A permanent flashing yellow light on top of a pole (not a traffic light) will appear next to a zebra crossing, and it indicates "this is a zebra crossing; pedestrians have priority over traffic". A flashing amber light as part of a traffic light may appear if there is a pedestrian crossing also controlled by lights, and the flashing amber light means "the pedestrians are about to be shown a red light; yield to pedestrians if they are present, but you as a driver are about to receive priority and may in any case proceed if there are no pedestrians". The traffic rules you describe sound… ridiculous. How is one supposed to design a free-flowing intersection if anyone may halt the traffic in any particular part at any time? In the UK, one can almost always find crossings shortly downstream of a roundabout, and pedestrian crossings at traffic lights are controlled by lights.