Traffic laws: Escaping the yellow box trap

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PASSING through major intersections and roundabouts in Lagos, one would notice a yellow crisscross road marking sign. The crisscross lines are painted in a yellow grid. It is called the Yellow Box and mainly found at road junctions. This point is not meant for decoration but for a traffic regulatory function. It is to prevent gridlock and ensure orderliness at crossroads, roundabouts, T-junctions and Y-junctions. This Yellow Box is sometimes called Chevron box and commonly, in local parlance, referred to as the Offside Rule. Ignorance of the law, they say, is not an excuse or an exemption from the penalty when it is contravened. So, it is important everyone gets themselves familiar with traffic laws to avoid being found wanting or caught on the wrong side of the law. One of such laws is the Offside Rule that is applied at the Yellow Box junction. When caught waiting or stopping in that offside area within the Yellow Box junction, you have contravened the traffic law.

Drivers stand a risk of being arrested and fined for stopping there if the exit point isn’t free before entering the box. Most motorists, commercial drivers in particular, do not know what this yellow box road marking design stands for. It is an offence to enter a yellow box if there is not enough space to completely exit the box without stopping. So before you make an entry into a Yellow Box, be sure of a free exit at the other end of the box, if not, do not enter. There are a variety of traffic laws that motorists must get familiar with. Among these laws, is the Highway Code which is a set of official rules and laws about driving and using roads. These highway codes include some popular Warning, Prohibitory, Mandatory and Regulatory signs. The Nigeria Highway Code is the Code of Conduct for human activities related to the open road in a technological age. No one is exempted from obeying these highway codes as long as you are a road user.

One good way of adhering to and complying with the Highway Code and traffic laws is to give allowance for other drivers particularly in turning and overtaking. Let me add that, motorists should not be hostile and wicked to drivers of vehicles trying to overtake them. Some drivers accelerate instead of slowing down and allowing the overtaking vehicle to go ahead. This may result in a crash if such consideration is not given. Truth is, when road accidents occur, apart from the loss of life or damage of vehicles that the affected parties may suffer, parties (other motorists not involved in accidents) not affected will suffer delay caused by that accident as there would be interruption in free flow of traffic.

Some traffic signposts connected with the Yellow Box rule read: “Offside Rule, Do Not enter” and “Do Not Enter a Box Junction If Your Exit Is Not Clear”. These short notes on signposts are indicators to educate and enlighten motorists on the information provided in the board displayed beside the road or near the area where the Yellow Box is located. The signposts also provide some detailed description for road users and the motoring public at large. As enshrined in the Lagos State Traffic laws, if you are caught flouting this traffic offside rule, the fine is N20, 000 as a first offender and N30, 000 for committing same offence subsequently. Do not ignore the rules of the Yellow Box even when the traffic light turns green at signalized junctions. At all times, ensure you have an available clear exit before entering a Yellow box.

Without a doubt, obeying traffic rules and signs would curtail the unruliness and reduce road accidents to the barest minimum. It is in the overall interest of all road users (motorists and pedestrians) that these road traffic signs are designed and implemented for use not only to ensure orderliness and sanity, but also to prevent crashes occasioned by over-speeding. This is calling on the appropriate authorities to ensure that Yellow Box road marking signs are visible enough for motorists to see because the signs have faded out at some junctions on Lagos roads. The road marking signs for Yellow Box at some road intersections in Lagos have almost totally cleared off as one can only faintly see the crisscross lines appearing in a broken manner. This faint road traffic sign can be an excuse for some traffic law violators or offenders, and in order to avoid that, the signs should be visibly clear to all. Another good way to ensure that all motorists understand and get familiar with traffic signs and laws is constant public enlightenment and education, which this piece seeks to achieve.

It is also important that more signboards showing and carrying details of what the Yellow Box means should be boldly displayed at road intersections and roundabouts as means of enlightenment for the motoring public. This way, motorists will be able to take well-informed decisions when they are well-educated and enlightened on the various interpretations of road signs and the Highway Code. An in-depth knowledge of traffic and road marking signs and strict compliance with traffic laws will certainly bring about orderliness and sanity on our roads.

Ojewale, a LASTMA official, writes in via [email protected]

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