Roadworks traffic lights should be obeyed like permanent signals, manager says

Motorists must obey red temporary traffic lights at roadworks just as they would permanent signals, according to a manager at JandG Traffic Management Services. The manager says drivers who pass a red light risk prosecution, a £100 fine and three penalty points.

The manager addressed misconceptions about temporary traffic controls in a company blog post, including the belief that a driver can proceed cautiously if no other traffic is visible. Some motorists, the manager said, regard temporary signals at streetworks as advisory or assume a red light is faulty when they encounter it at night.

The manager said flashing headlights at a red temporary signal will not make it change to green. If a signal changes after a driver flashes, that would be coincidence, the manager said, rather than a response to the headlights.

The manager cited the Road Traffic Act and the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions, saying temporary traffic control schemes have the same validity as permanent signs and signals. The Highway Code also says road users must obey traffic light signals and traffic signs giving orders, including temporary signals and signs.

Drivers should stop at a red light and wait for green, the manager said, even if they think the signal is broken or taking too long to change. The manager warned that a signal that seems stuck may be operating as part of a multi-junction arrangement, where proceeding could put drivers and others at risk.

The manager also said jumping a red light can endanger road users and road workers. The advice is to wait rather than chance that an apparently empty road makes it safe to proceed or that flashing headlights will alter the signal.

The warning concerns temporary traffic controls used at roadworks and streetworks. The manager’s central point is that a temporary signal is not an optional instruction: motorists should follow it in the same way as a permanent traffic light.

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