Dead Traffic Lights at a Four-Way Junction
At 18:45 the traffic lights at a four-way junction in Tevragh Zeina are completely dark after a power cut. You are southbound in a loaded pickup, intending to go straight. A minibus from the east-your left-arrives at the same moment. A motorcycle from the west-your right-arrives a second later and signals a left turn across your path. A pedestrian is pushing a cart along the edge of the road, and no police officer is present. The road surface is dry, but the sun is low and visibility is poor. Your pickup is heavy and takes longer than a car to stop. You must decide who has priority, how to treat the motorcycle's signal, and whether a wave from another driver changes your legal duty.
1. With no working signals, signs, or officer, who should yield to whom at this junction?
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The default rule at an unsigned intersection is priority to the right. For you, southbound, the motorcycle approaching from the west is on your right, so it has priority over you. The minibus from the east is on your left, so you have priority over it. That does not mean you accelerate into the junction: the pickup is heavy, visibility is poor, and the pedestrian is an additional hazard. You should approach slowly enough to stop, confirm that the motorcycle is actually proceeding, and be ready to yield to it. If the minibus edges forward despite being on your left, do not insist on your priority; avoid a collision even when the other driver is wrong.
2. The motorcycle signals a left turn across your path. Does that signal remove its priority?
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No. A direction indicator does not transfer priority. The motorcycle is still approaching from your right, so under the priority-to-the-right default it has priority over your straight-through movement. However, a left turn across another lane requires care, and you should not assume the rider will complete it safely. If the motorcycle commits to the turn, slow or stop and let it clear. If it hesitates, do not wave it through and do not dart forward; wait until the rider's intention is clear and the path is actually free. The signal is information, not an instruction, and your legal duty remains to yield to the vehicle on your right.
3. The minibus driver waves you through. Can you rely on that wave?
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No. A wave is a courtesy signal, not a legal priority transfer. The minibus is on your left and should normally yield to you, but the driver may wave while still rolling, or may not have seen the motorcycle on your right. You must verify for yourself that the minibus has stopped, that the motorcycle is not crossing, and that the pedestrian is clear. If a collision occurs, 'the other driver waved me on' does not remove your duty to enter only when safe. Use the wave as one piece of information, then make your own observation before moving.