Green Light, Raised Hand, Blocked Yellow Box
At 07:40 on a rain-soaked Yangon street, you approach a four-way signalised junction on a two-lane road. The signal for your direction is green and has been showing for several seconds; there is no countdown timer. A traffic police officer standing in the centre of the junction faces you with his right arm raised and palm toward you. Ahead, a city bus has stopped inside the yellow box junction, blocking your lane beyond the stop line. Your exit beyond the junction has only about one car length of clear space. A pedestrian with an umbrella waits at the near-side crossing. The road is wet, your wipers are on full, and a motorcyclist is filtering between lanes on your left. You need to reach a clinic appointment and are already late.
1. Which instruction must you follow-the green signal or the officer’s raised hand-and why? State what you should do in the next few seconds.
Read the worked answer
Follow the officer. A police officer directing traffic overrides the automatic signal; the raised palm is a stop command for your approach. The green light does not authorise you to move while an officer is holding you. In the next few seconds: stop before the stop line, keep your foot on the brake, select neutral or hold the clutch, watch the officer’s hand and the motorcyclist on your left, and do not creep into the yellow box. The fact that you are late is irrelevant to the legal priority. If the officer waves you on later, check that the bus has cleared your exit before moving.
2. What is the purpose of the yellow box junction, and how does the stopped bus change your decision?
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The yellow box is a keep-clear area: you may enter only if your exit is clear, so that you do not stop inside and block cross-traffic or the pedestrian crossing. The bus has stopped inside the box, so even if the signal turns green, you must wait behind the stop line until there is space on the far side. Stopping in the box would compound the bus’s blockage and could trap you across the crossing. The correct decision is to hold back, leave the junction clear, and move only when the officer directs you and your exit has room for the whole vehicle.
3. The motorcyclist is filtering on your left as the officer waves cross-traffic through. What defensive action do you take and why?
Read the worked answer
The motorcyclist is vulnerable and may pass on either side. Before moving, check the left mirror and blind spot, keep the wheels straight, and leave at least a door’s width of space. Do not edge forward to claim the lane; a sudden move could clip the rider. If the officer waves cross-traffic through, stay stopped and let the rider clear. Use the horn only if the rider is drifting into you and a warning is needed. The aim is to separate the hazards-the officer’s command, the bus blockage and the filtering rider-rather than to assert priority.