Dark Signals, a Police Officer and a Yellow Box Junction
You approach a four-way signalised junction in Kowloon at 08:15. The traffic lights are completely dark because of a power failure. A police officer in a reflective jacket is standing in the middle of the junction, facing your approach, with her right arm raised and palm towards you; her left arm is pointing to the traffic on your right. The junction has a yellow box marked on the road, a pedestrian crossing on your left, and a bus lane on the left side of your road. Your LGV is 5.5 m long and you are carrying a 1,200 kg load. The road behind you is clear for 30 m; a taxi is close behind. Rain is falling and the road is wet. A pedestrian with an umbrella steps onto the crossing from the left.
1. How do you interpret the officer's signal, and what should you do next?
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Stop. A police officer facing you with the right arm raised and the palm towards you is giving the stop signal, and an officer's directions override the dark traffic lights. Stop before the crossing and before the yellow box, not inside it. Do not try to read the failure as an uncontrolled junction and proceed. Keep the taxi behind in mind and brake early and smoothly so it does not run into you. Wait until the officer gives a clear signal to move.
2. What are the yellow box rules here, given your vehicle length and the failed lights?
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The yellow box is a keep-clear area. You may enter only if your exit is clear and you can clear the box without stopping; with a 5.5 m vehicle and a 1,200 kg load you need more space than a car, so do not follow the vehicle ahead too closely. Even when the officer signals you, do not block the box or the pedestrian crossing. If you are already inside the box when the signal changes, keep going and clear it when it is safe.
3. The pedestrian steps onto the crossing. What is the correct response?
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The pedestrian has stepped onto the crossing, so give way. The officer's signal does not cancel the pedestrian's right to cross, and you must not move off into a person. Watch the officer again before moving: the raised palm may be held until the crossing is clear. Use the wet-road gap, keep the steering straight and avoid revving or edging forward to hurry the pedestrian.