Dear Road Wizard: Several months ago, an article in the Statesman explained how the pedestrian crosswalk works for the new Library on Ustick Road. I now observe that drivers on Ustick don't have a clue about this light. Please explain it again before we have a road rage incident when some drivers think others are running a red light! R.T.@

Info on the theory, practice, and history for these signals, called HAWK signals, appeared in my columns of August 10 and December 28, 2008, well before the library opened. Sounds like the signal is getting more use, as predicted, now that the library has opened.

The rules for drivers are these:

Flashing and/or solid yellow: Stop if it's safe to do so (because a pedestrian has pushed the button).

Solid red: STOP and stay stopped until the pedestrian is safe AND the red light has begun to flash. (The solid red lasts 9.5 seconds. Pedestrians may have cleared one or more lanes.)

Flashing red: STOP first, then go when doing so is safe for pedestrians. (Peds come in many flavors: They may be approaching your lane and still need the right-of-way. They already may have passed in front of you and are walking away from you. They may have crossed quickly and are no longer in view at all.)

Flashing red lights always mean STOP first. Look around and be alert, then go when it's safe.

The rule for HONKING at the driver in front of you is: Do not. You never know how this "expression of annoyance" will confuse, anger, or endanger someone. A honking horn rarely succeeds as an instructional device.