Roadworks board conflicts with a permanent left-turn sign
At 23:30 you are driving a saloon car on a three-lane urban road with a posted 50 km/h limit. You approach a signalised junction and want to continue straight. An overhead permanent sign shows the left lane turning left only. A temporary orange roadworks board 80 m before the junction shows an arrow bending traffic to the right, and a second board says the left lane closes in 100 m. The lane divider has faded, but a solid white line starts 30 m before the works. A taxi is 8 m behind you, close enough that its headlights fill your mirror. Your exit is straight ahead, and the right lane is occupied by a bus 20 m ahead. Visibility is good and the road is dry.
1. Which control governs your lane choice, and what is the safest path through the junction?
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Hierarchy: a police officer's directions override everything; next comes temporary traffic control for roadworks; permanent signs and markings resume only when the works are cleared. Here the orange board and lane-closure board describe the current layout, so the permanent left-turn-only sign does not authorise you to stay left and then cut straight across. Application: you want straight ahead, so you must be in the right lane before the solid line begins 30 m before the works. Because the bus is 20 m ahead in that lane, the realistic legal path is to adjust speed and merge behind the bus, not alongside it. If you cannot merge before the solid line, continue left and reroute rather than cross the line at the junction.
2. The taxi is tailgating and the right lane is occupied. How do you plan and execute the lane change?
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Use the mirror-signal-manoeuvre sequence, but do not signal and pull out immediately. The taxi is only 8 m behind, so a sudden move or brake would invite a rear-end collision. Ease off the accelerator gently to increase the gap behind you and let the taxi either pass or settle. Signal right early, check the right mirror and blind spot, and look for a safe gap behind the bus. If the taxi closes the gap, wait; a missed turn is cheaper than a forced lane change. Once the right lane is clear, move across smoothly, cancel the signal, and restore a safe following gap behind the bus. Do not straddle lanes or use the bus's size as cover.
3. A police officer at the junction waves you straight ahead from the left-turn lane. What do you do?
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Obey the officer. A police officer directing traffic has authority over signs, signals and markings, including the left-turn-only sign and the roadworks board. Move straight only after making eye contact or receiving a clear signal, keep speed low, and watch for workers, plant and traffic that may not expect you. Do not argue from the permanent sign. If the officer's wave would send you into a closed trench or a physical barrier, stop and clarify rather than drive into a hazard; the duty is to follow the direction safely, not blindly.