Where I come from, the traffic lights are ON full-time.

They only flash red when there is a cable fault/breakdown.

When the fault is cleared, the traffic lights reset back to normal operating cycles.

In the US, for example, I believe the signals are flashed to reduce the waiting time at night, hence it acts like a 4-way stop sign.

In a bid to avoid idiots who sail thru' flashing intersections, the signals are left ON full-time.

My 2 cents...