Night Roadworks With Conflicting Markings
You are driving alone at 22:30 on a two-lane rural road in a 50 km/h zone. Ahead, roadworks narrow the carriageway to one lane for about 40 metres. A temporary red-and-white barrier sits on the right shoulder, but the warning sign is partly hidden behind a parked water tanker. The permanent centre line is faded and broken, while fresh temporary white markings curve left around an open trench. A worker's flashlight waves from behind the barrier, but no flagman is visible. Oncoming traffic includes a bus whose headlights are bright and a motorcycle overtaking it. Your windscreen is slightly fogged, and the road surface is damp. You have about four seconds before you reach the point where the markings diverge. The speed limit sign is the only permanent sign you can see clearly.
1. Which cues should govern your path, and what is the correct order of authority when they conflict?
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Temporary traffic control is installed because the permanent layout is not usable. The order of authority is: a police officer or flagman's signal; then temporary signs, barriers and markings; then permanent signs and markings. Here there is no flagman, so the fresh temporary white markings and the barrier line define the usable lane. The worker's waving flashlight shows that the works are active, but it is not a clear 'come through' signal. Because the warning sign is obscured and the permanent centre line is faded, you should not use the permanent line to decide. Reduce speed well below 50 km/h, select a low gear, keep both hands on the wheel, and be ready to stop before the narrow section. Do not overtake: the open lane is shared with oncoming traffic.
2. The oncoming motorcycle is overtaking the bus. How should that change your plan?
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It changes the timing, not just the path. The motorcycle is likely to be in or near your lane as it passes the bus, and its closing speed is high. Slow early and stop before the point where the temporary markings narrow the road, leaving the single open lane clear until you can see it is free. Do not flash headlights aggressively or move left to claim space; at night, bright headlights can dazzle the rider. Dip your headlights, keep your vehicle to the right away from the trench, and use the four-second gap to decide. Proceed slowly only after the motorcycle has passed and the bus is not following into your lane.
3. The worker's flashlight waves you forward, but the temporary markings appear to curve the other way. What do you do?
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Treat the conflict as a stop signal. A worker's informal flashlight wave is not the same as a trained flagman's clear direction, especially when the temporary markings point elsewhere. Stop before the barrier, switch on hazard lights if it is safe, and wait for a clear signal from someone authorised or for the layout to become unambiguous. Do not guess and do not follow another vehicle's path blindly, because the trench is open. If no one appears, use a safe reversing or turning opportunity only if the road is clear; otherwise call the police or road authority. When cues conflict, uncertainty should produce a controlled stop, not a commitment.