Emergency vehicle behind a green light in Maputo
You are driving an 18-tonne rigid box truck on a four-lane avenue in Maputo. Your lane is clear and the traffic light ahead is green. In your mirrors you see an ambulance with flashing blue lights and siren closing quickly. The right-hand lane is blocked by a parked minibus and a row of bollards; the left-hand lane carries oncoming traffic. Your vehicle is 2.5 m wide and 9.5 m long, and the intersection is 20 m ahead. If you stop abruptly, the truck behind you-a loaded tipper-is only 15 m back. A pedestrian with a child is waiting at the crossing on your right. You must decide within a few seconds whether to continue through the green light, stop before the stop line, or pull to the right.
1. What should you do in the next few seconds, and why?
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Do not stop in the intersection. The light is green for you, but an emergency vehicle is approaching. The correct sequence is: check mirrors and blind spots; keep speed steady or slow gently; if you can clear the intersection safely before the ambulance arrives, proceed through and then pull as far right as possible after the junction, using your right indicator. Do not brake hard: the tipper 15 m behind cannot stop quickly, and a sudden stop would block the ambulance and risk a rear-end collision. If you cannot clear the junction, stop before the stop line-not inside the box-and leave the left side free. Do not mount the pavement or move toward the pedestrian with the child. The ambulance may use the oncoming lane only when it is safe; your job is to make space without creating a new hazard.
2. How do you communicate and monitor the situation?
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Signal early and clearly: right indicator if pulling over, hazard lights only after you have stopped and are truly a temporary obstruction. Use mirrors continuously; an 18-tonne truck has large blind spots, and the ambulance may appear on your left. Watch the pedestrian crossing: the child may step out because the ambulance distracts them. Listen for the siren changing direction. If the ambulance passes on your left, do not accelerate or change lanes until it is well ahead. After it passes, check that no second emergency vehicle is following-often there is more than one. Rejoin the lane only after mirror and shoulder checks, and cancel your indicator.
3. What if the ambulance arrives just as you enter the junction?
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If you are already committed and stopping would leave you blocking the junction, continue through at a safe speed and clear it. Do not reverse. A heavy vehicle reversing in a junction with pedestrians and emergency traffic is more dangerous than clearing the junction. Once clear, pull right if possible. If the ambulance is already alongside and the junction is blocked ahead, stop before the pedestrian crossing and let it pass on your left, provided oncoming traffic is clear. The key judgment is: never create a second obstruction; make your movement predictable; and give way without endangering the child or the following tipper.