Traffic Controls, Signals and Directions Given by Authorised Persons
Obeying people, not just lights
Police officers, traffic wardens, Island Traffic Authority inspectors and school crossing wardens have legal authority to direct traffic. Their signals override traffic lights, signs and markings. If an officer waves you through a red light, you obey the officer but proceed slowly, checking that the way is genuinely clear.
Officer signals to recognise
- An officer facing you with a hand raised, palm towards you, means stop.
- An arm waved onward means proceed in the direction indicated.
- Whistle blasts are used to attract attention and reinforce the hand signal - watch the hands, not just the whistle.
- If signals and lights conflict, the officer wins. If the lights fail and no officer is present, treat the junction with caution and apply the give-way-to-the-right rule.
Traffic lights
Jamaica uses the sequence red, then red and amber together, then green, then amber, then red. Red and amber together means prepare to go but do not move yet. Amber alone means stop unless you are so close that stopping would be unsafe. A flashing amber at a pedestrian crossing means proceed only if the crossing is clear.
Driver hand signals
Right turn: right arm straight out and bent upwards. Left turn: right arm out, palm forward, moved in an anticlockwise arc. Slowing down: right arm out and moved up and down. Use them when indicators fail, and give them clearly and early.
Worked example
You are at a red light when an officer steps out and beckons you across the junction. You move off slowly, watching for traffic that may not have seen the officer. You would not be penalised for crossing on red, but you would still be responsible for a collision you could have avoided.
Traps that cost marks
- Waiting at a green light because an officer is signalling the cross traffic - check the officer's hand, not the light.
- Moving off on red-and-amber before the officer or light permits.
- Ignoring a school crossing warden because no children are visible yet.