These are intersection control beacons. Indeed, highway=traffic_signals traffic_signals=blinker is how most of them have been mapped so far. (In iD, you’d use the Traffic Signals preset and set the Type to blinker.) However, I think it’s probably time to revisit this tagging combination, because it has multiple problems:
- Functionally speaking, the beacon merely supplements a two- or four-way stop with required stop signs. A routing engine should treat the intersection just like a stop-controlled intersection for the purposes of timing and counting intersections (“At the next stop sign…”). A renderer should mark these intersections with
rather than 
, reflecting the primary equipment. - At a two-way stop, the road that has the right of way sees an amber flashing beacon, but this is just a warning light, no different than the flashing beacon atop a warning sign, which is most often tagged as
flashing_lights=yes. -
highway=traffic_signalstraffic_signals=blinkeris easily confused withhighway=traffic_signalstraffic_signals=blink_mode, for when a traffic light is temporarily on blinking mode.
Personally, I’ve begun using highway=stop stop=all traffic_signals=blinker on all-way stops and highway=stop stop=minor traffic_signals=blinker at the stop lines on two-way stops. However, it isn’t unreasonable to use highway=traffic_signals traffic_signals=blinker for now if you’re OK with it potentially needing to be updated with new tagging in the future.