The SOP of lights on at takeoff clearance prevented a runway incursion for me. My home field has the WW2 triangle runway layout and ATC often uses the runway next to the terminal for the regional T props and the long runway on the opposite side for jet and GA departures (the GA ramp is on the other side of the airport from the terminal). One day I was taxing out to the long runway in my airplane with a clearnce from ground to cross the intersecting runway. Just as I was approaching the intersection the Dash 8 holding on the crossing runway turned on all its landing lights. I immediately stopped about 10 ft short of the hold line. The Dash was allready rolling when I got a very excited ground controller yelling at me to hold short. Bottom line what would have been a reportable incident was a non event because of the warning of the commencement of the Dash's takeoff roll that I got from the lights on at t/o clearance SOP I knew the airline used. I teach that SOP to all of my students and my experience is at least in North America virtually all of the CAR 705 and Part 121 airlines seem to follow it.