Who’s at Fault When a Traffic Cop Directs Traffic and a Crash Follows?

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A video from the Comrades Marathon weekend has caused a stir online after a motorcyclist crashed into a car at a robot-controlled intersection on Mazisi Kunene road after a traffic officer took control and manually directed traffic.

The incident happened when several roads were closed for the marathon and officers had to take over key intersections. In the video, a traffic official is seen stopping cars that had a green light and waving through others that had a red. But then — bam! A motorcyclist riding on the green light T-bones a car that was crossing on red.

Now here’s the twist: the motorist was following the officer’s hand signal, which we can clearly see. But the biker? He didn’t even see the officer, as his view was obstructed by some vehicles, clearly visible in the video. He was riding with the green light and did not expect a car to come across.

So Who’s to Blame?

Legally, traffic officers’ signals override traffic lights. If an officer waves you through, even on red, you can legally go. The motorist is technically in the clear here, as he was following instructions.

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But here’s the catch: the motorcyclist couldn’t see the officer at all. And if you can’t see the instructions, how are you expected to follow them? In this case, the blame may fall on the traffic officer, who failed to make himself visible to all approaches. That’s a big no-no when directing traffic.

What About Defensive Driving?

From a defensive driving point of view, the biker saw cars coming through a red light on his right. Even though his light was green, that should’ve raised a red flag. In defensive driving, green means go only if it’s safe. The golden rule is:

“The right of way is given, not taken.”

If you take your right of way without checking if it’s safe, you may win the argument but lose your life or your bike in this case.

The motorist, on the other hand, saw the biker coming and tried to stop. Some say he could’ve reacted sooner, others say he did all he could. Either way, he was caught in the middle of a bad situation.

What Do You Think?

Legally, the biker may have a case. The motorist was following orders. And the traffic officer? He may have dropped the ball.

So tell us:

• Who do you think is to blame?
• Should the biker have slowed down when he saw cars moving through a red light?
• Did the officer fail the road users by not being visible?

Watch the video and drop your thoughts in the comments! Let’s unpack this mess, one lane at a time.