Night Roadworks With Conflicting Signs
At 11:40 p.m. you are driving a five-year-old sedan on a two-lane federal road. Rain has been falling for 20 minutes, the surface is glossy, and there are no streetlights. Work barriers begin 300 m ahead. A temporary yellow 'Road Works' sign is visible, then a 'Lane Closed Ahead' board, but its arrow lamps are unlit. A faded permanent 'No Overtaking' sign stands beside fresh skid marks. The permanent speed limit is 90 km/h, but a temporary 60 km/h sign is partly covered by a contractor's plastic sheet. You are 35 m behind a loaded lorry travelling about 55 km/h, with a line of cars behind you. Your passenger asks you to overtake before the barriers. You can see no flagman, and the oncoming lane disappears behind a bend.
1. Reading the signs and markings together, what should you do before the barriers, and why is the passenger's overtaking suggestion unsafe?
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The old 90 km/h sign is not the controlling information. A temporary work-zone sign followed by a lane-closure board changes the layout, even though the arrow lamps are dead. Because the 60 km/h sign is covered, the safe assumption is a lower work-zone limit and a lane loss ahead. The faded 'No Overtaking' sign and fresh skid marks reinforce caution.
Overtaking is unsafe because:
- the oncoming lane disappears behind a bend;
- you cannot see a works vehicle or flagman beyond the lorry;
- the wet surface extends braking distance;
- 35 m at 55 km/h is only about 2.3 seconds.
Stay behind the lorry, reduce speed smoothly, use dipped headlights, and prepare to stop or merge at the taper.
2. What speed and following gap would you use through the works, and what visual cues tell you the closed lane's exact path?
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Use the temporary limit if it becomes visible. If it does not, reduce to a speed from which you can stop within the distance you can see, clearly below 60 km/h. In wet darkness, 35 m at 55 km/h is not enough; aim for at least 4 seconds, roughly 60 m, and more if the lorry blocks your view.
Do not fixate on the lorry's tail lamps. Look for the lane taper: cones, barriers, temporary yellow lines, a flagman's position and the path of any works vehicle. If those cues conflict or are missing, treat the right lane as closed and do not commit until you can see an exit path. Keep left if safe and check mirrors before any lane change.
3. If a flagman appears and waves you into the oncoming lane, what checks and limits still apply?
Read the worked answer
A flagman can direct traffic through the works, but the direction is not a guarantee that the path is clear. Before moving, check for oncoming headlights, the width of the gap, workers or equipment near the taper, and whether the surface is flooded or broken. Proceed at walking pace with hazards or dipped headlights as appropriate, and be ready to stop.
Do not follow the wave into a blind bend or past a barrier you cannot see beyond. If the instruction conflicts with a red light, a stop sign or an obviously unsafe gap, hold position and seek clarification rather than committing.