Dark signal and a directing officer
It is 08:10 on a busy Baghdad arterial road. The traffic signal at a four-way junction is completely dark because of a power cut. A police officer in a white shirt is standing in the middle of the junction, facing your approach, and is waving traffic from the opposite direction through the junction. You are in the right-hand lane, indicating to turn right. A minibus behind you is sounding its horn. Pedestrians are crossing the side road you want to enter, and a temporary yellow sign before the junction shows a diverted lane because of roadworks. The officer is not looking in your direction, and the side road has a marked zebra crossing just after the corner. Rain has made the road surface greasy. You are already late for an appointment.
1. Who controls priority at this junction, and what should you do first?
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The police officer’s signals override the traffic lights and the normal sign-based priority rules. The dark signal does not mean ‘go’; it means the junction is uncontrolled unless an officer is directing traffic. Your first action is to slow down and prepare to stop, not to turn just because your indicator is on. The officer is currently waving cross-traffic through, so entering the junction would conflict with his direction and with vehicles already moving. Ignore the minibus horn: it does not create a right to proceed. Wait until the officer gives you a clear signal, then move only when the path is actually clear and you can see the pedestrians at the zebra crossing.
2. How should you treat the dark signal, the temporary yellow sign and the pedestrians as you make the right turn?
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Treat the dark signal as an uncontrolled junction: approach slowly, look in all directions, and give way to traffic already in the junction and to vehicles approaching from your right where no officer is directing. The temporary yellow sign is a warning of a changed layout caused by roadworks, so follow the diverted lane rather than cutting the corner. Once you begin the right turn, the pedestrians on the side road have priority at the marked zebra crossing; stop and let them clear before proceeding. Wet roads increase stopping distance, so make the turn at low speed and avoid braking harshly while turning. The officer’s directions still take priority if they conflict with any of these measures.
3. What should you do about the honking minibus and your lateness?
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Do nothing that is driven by the horn. The minibus driver cannot see the same view of the officer and pedestrians that you can, and reacting by moving early could cause a collision. Courtesy and patience are part of safe driving; a short delay is far less costly than a crash. Your lateness is not a legal or safety justification for entering against the officer’s direction or pushing through pedestrians. After you have cleared the junction safely, you can pull over in a permitted place and call to say you are delayed. Do not use a phone while driving or while waiting at the junction.