Dark traffic lights at a Bamako crossroads
At 07:20 you approach a four-way crossroads in a Bamako suburb. There are no stop signs, no give-way signs, no markings and no traffic officer; a power cut has left the traffic lights dark. You are driving a small hatchback at 35 km/h and intend to go straight. A minibus is approaching from your right at about 30 km/h, and its left indicator is flashing. A cyclist is coming from your left, and a motorcycle is close behind you. The surface is wet laterite after overnight rain, and the crossroads slopes slightly downhill toward your lane. A parked lorry blocks the view 20 m up the road on your right. Your brakes are in good condition, but your rear window is fogged. You have a passenger who is late for work.
1. Who has priority, and what is the legal basis when signs, markings and lights are absent?
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The default rule at an unmarked, uncontrolled intersection in Mali is priority to the right (priorité à droite). The minibus is approaching from your right, so it has priority over you. The cyclist on your left must yield to you, but that does not remove your duty to avoid a collision.
The minibus's left indicator does not change the priority rule. It may be turning across your path, or the driver may have left the indicator on by mistake. Either way, you must assume the minibus can lawfully proceed first.
Your own approach speed matters: 35 km/h on wet laterite, downhill, with a fogged rear window, is too fast to negotiate an uncontrolled crossroads where the view to the right is blocked by a parked lorry. Reduce speed before the junction, look right, then left, then right again, and be prepared to stop even if you think you have been seen.
2. The minibus flashes its headlights and slows but does not stop. Do you enter the crossroads?
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No. A headlight flash is ambiguous: it can mean 'I am coming', 'I see you', 'go ahead', or a warning of danger. It is not a reliable signal that the minibus is yielding priority.
Reasoning:
- The minibus still has priority from the right.
- It is slowing for its own turn or for the wet surface, not necessarily for you.
- A second vehicle may be following it out of the side road hidden by the parked lorry.
- The downhill slope and wet laterite increase your stopping distance if you enter and then have to brake.
Correct action: stop or creep to a point where you can see past the parked lorry. Enter only when the minibus has clearly stopped or has passed, and when you have seen that no second vehicle is following. Make eye contact if possible, but do not treat it as a guarantee.
3. The motorcycle behind you starts to overtake as you brake for the junction. What do you do?
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Check the mirror first and brake progressively, not sharply. The motorcycle may already be alongside or in the blind area created by the fogged rear window. A sudden stop could cause a rear-end collision or a sideswipe.
Actions:
- Signal early and reduce speed smoothly so the rider can see your intention.
- Do not swerve left into the overtaking motorcycle; hold your lane or move slightly right if it is safe.
- If the motorcycle is already alongside, let it go and do not turn across it.
- Re-check the cyclist from the left, who may now enter the junction while your attention is on the motorcycle.
The priority rule does not protect you from a rider overtaking into the junction. Defensive driving means making your braking predictable and keeping space for the mistake of the person behind.