Flashing Amber, a Police Officer and a Loaded Trailer
You are driving a light truck towing a loaded box trailer with a total length of 9.5 m on a two-lane rural road. You are driving on the right-hand side of the road. At 17:40 you approach a four-way crossroads where the traffic signal has failed and shows a flashing amber light on every approach. A uniformed police officer stands in the centre. The officer raises an open palm toward your approach, then turns and waves the cross traffic through. After about 20 seconds the officer points at you and beckons you forward. A municipal bus is stopped 15 m ahead on your road with its right indicator on. A cyclist dressed in dark clothing and without lights is moving slowly along the left edge of the cross road toward the junction. The sun is low and directly in your eyes. Your trailer has overrun brakes, the road surface is dry, and you intend to turn right.
1. What priority applies at this crossroads, and what should you do before moving?
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The officer's directions are the controlling authority. A flashing amber signal would normally mean “proceed with caution when clear”, but a police officer directing traffic overrides the signal and the normal right-of-way rules. First, stop before the junction and watch the officer rather than the lights. Second, treat the bus cautiously: its right indicator does not prove it is turning - it may be signalling to pull out from a stop. Hold well back and do not overtake it. Third, track the cyclist. Dark clothing, no lights and low sun make the cyclist hard to see, so the officer's beckon is permission to move, not a guarantee that the path is clear. Use the sun visor, keep the windscreen clean, and look for the cyclist's silhouette or shadow before committing.
2. How should you position and control the truck and trailer for the right turn?
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Approach at walking pace, about 10–15 km/h, in first or second gear. On a right-hand-traffic road, keep the truck just left of the centre line but do not swing into the opposing lane. Because the trailer is 9.5 m long and has overrun brakes, begin the turn slightly later than you would solo so the trailer does not cut the corner; watch the trailer wheels in both mirrors. Keep the wheels straight until you actually start turning, so a rear-end impact would not push you into the junction. Check the bus's front wheels and the cyclist again before committing. Signal early, cancel after the turn, and be ready to stop if the trailer's path is blocked.
3. The officer beckons, but the cyclist is still moving across your path. What do you do?
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Wait. An officer's signal authorises you to move; it does not remove your duty to avoid a collision. If the cyclist is still crossing, hold your position, make eye contact if possible, and point toward the cyclist so the officer understands why you are not moving. Do not sound the horn aggressively or edge forward into the cyclist's path. If the officer keeps beckoning, acknowledge with a raised hand but stay stopped until the cyclist is clear or has stopped. The same principle applies to the bus: never enter the junction on the assumption that others will stop or that a signal makes the path safe.