Conflicting Instructions at a Roadworks Site
On a rural two-way road near Paphos, you meet a roadworks zone controlled by temporary traffic lights. The light facing you is green, but a stop/go board operator is holding the board at STOP. An amber flashing beacon is mounted on a barrier, and a police officer standing beyond the barrier is waving you forward slowly with a downward palm movement. A temporary sign shows a 30 km/h limit and “road narrows”; the permanent limit is 80 km/h. The narrowed lane passes within 1.5 m of a trench, and several workers are carrying materials. Ahead, a lorry is waiting to leave the site. The officer’s signal and the stop/go board conflict with the green light. Rain has made the surface muddy. There is no central reservation, and oncoming traffic is queuing on the other side. Your view of the far end is blocked by a digger.
1. Which instruction controls your movement when the police officer, the green light and the STOP board conflict? Explain the hierarchy.
Read the worked answer
The police officer’s signal overrides the temporary lights, the stop/go board, signs and markings. A green light does not authorise you to ignore an officer directing you to move slowly or to stop. If the officer were not there, the STOP board would still be a manual instruction from the works controller and should be obeyed; a green light is not a guarantee that the narrowed lane is clear.
Procedure. Move at walking pace, in the correct lane, with windows down if useful to hear instructions. Keep at least 1.5 m from the trench and workers; be ready to stop for the lorry leaving the site. Use the muddy surface gently-no harsh braking or steering. Watch the digger’s blind spot and the oncoming queue.
If the officer leaves. Do not proceed on the green light while the board says STOP. Stop before the board and wait until the controller turns it to GO or a competent person signals you. If unsure, stay stopped and ask.
2. Describe how you would drive through the narrowed section, including speed, position and observation.
Read the worked answer
Treat the temporary 30 km/h limit as a maximum, not a target. In the narrow muddy section, use a lower gear and a steady walking-to-crawling pace so you can stop within the distance you can see. Keep as far from the trench and workers as the lane allows, but do not cross the centre line into the queuing oncoming traffic. Watch the lorry at the site exit and the digger’s slew area; make eye contact with the controller if possible. Avoid spraying workers with muddy water. Check mirrors before and after the restriction, signal only if it helps others understand your intention, and do not overtake within the works. If an oncoming vehicle enters the narrow section, stop in a safe place rather than squeezing past.
3. The officer walks away and the green light remains on, but the board still shows STOP. What do you do and why?
Read the worked answer
Stay stopped before the board. The board is a manual traffic control held by the works operator, and it indicates that the section is not safe for you to enter-perhaps because plant is moving or oncoming traffic is being released. A green light at the temporary signals does not cancel that instruction. Wait until the board is turned to GO or the operator clearly signals you through. If the operator is out of sight, do not guess; remain stopped, keep hazard lights on if you are a hazard to following traffic, and be prepared to ask. Proceeding on the green light alone would risk a head-on conflict in the narrow lane and could endanger workers.