RALEIGH, N.C. (WITN) -Drivers will no longer expect yellow flash modes for malfunctioning traffic signals.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation will set flashing red as the default setting when there’s a problem with the signal.

This change will happen over the next year and drivers will have to treat this as an all-way stop.

“We are making this change to improve the safety of our intersections and provide a consistent display when the signal is not operating normally,” said Nick Zinser, NCDOT’s Western Region Signals Engineer based in Garner. “If a signal is in flashing mode or dark due to power loss, it becomes an all-way stop condition for vehicles and pedestrians.”

The DOT has more than 9,000 intersections with stop lights.