New ‘red-light brigade’ causes havoc at dangerous intersection

Rush-hour traffic is not just frustrating for motorists, but also apparently risky. The dangers posed by road users were again illustrated last week, when two cars were involved in an accident after one driver allegedly ignored the red traffic light and collided with another that was making a turn from the R40 onto the N4.

One resident accused Mbombela Local Municipality (MLM) of not enforcing strict traffic laws at this dangerous intersection. “The traffic department needs to set the traffic light so it does not change too soon. Sometimes, only three vehicles are able to make the turn at a time. Other drivers then take a chance and cross the intersection when the light has already changed to red,” he said.

Oncoming traffic is often halted because of these motorists, which has a knock-on effect as vehicles in the oncoming lane in turn take a chance to cross the intersection when the light has already changed.

MLM agrees that motorists routinely skip red lights, causing other motorists to cross the intersection after the traffic lights have changed.

When asked if the problem could be solved by changing the order of the arrows, or to keep the arrows green for a longer period, MLM’s spokesman, Ms Bessie Pienaar, said it was not such a simple procedure.

“Traffic signalling is done in a scientific manner, it is not just a matter of changing settings as the settings will have an influence on the next intersection’s traffic lights, and so forth,” she told Nelspruit Post.

“It is the drivers who do not comply to the function of the arrows.

“If the arrow allows for drivers to proceed straight some drivers still turn against the red turning signal.”

Pienaar added that traffic officers were regularly deployed at the intersection to monitor disobedient motorists. “But there will always be those who take chances and who will underestimate the time it takes to cross the large intersection.”