“New Temporary Signs in Bratislava Remind Drivers Not to Block Intersections on Green Light”

Slovak police officers have started placing new temporary signs around Bratislava. They focus on intersections with denser traffic. The signage is intended to teach drivers not to enter an intersection on a green light if they cannot continue driving smoothly beyond it.

In big cities, this is a common problem: the driver sees a green light at the traffic light, so he enters the intersection, even though he cannot continue because there is a convoy behind the intersection. In the middle of the crossing, it creates an impenetrable plug even for drivers from other directions. And chaos ensues.

These situations are to be prevented by the new temporary markings that the traffic police in Bratislava have begun to deploy. “Do not enter if you cannot continue,” the sign reads.

​”In this context, we ask drivers to treat each other with respect, respect road signs and always adapt their behavior to the current situation in road traffic,” the Slovak police also posted on social media.

“This means that they should not enter the intersection unless the situation allows them to continue driving beyond the intersection, so that they would be forced to stop the vehicle at the intersection; this does not apply if the driver has to stop the vehicle at the intersection to give way to pedestrians crossing the road or when turning to the left,” add the Bratislava police officers.

In daily traffic rush hours in Prague and in other Czech cities, it becomes clear that similar signage would be useful in our country as well. According to Czech police officers, thousands of drivers behave similarly every day. Driving hastily into an intersection and blocking it may not be worth it, it is an offense for which a fine of up to two thousand can be imposed.

​Last year, the Czech police officers attempted a similar challenge as their Slovak colleagues now. “Congested traffic in cities is often worsened by drivers who, in violation of the regulations, drive into an intersection without the situation behind it allowing them to continue driving. When the traffic lights change, the intersection is blocked unnecessarily. A frequent situation is a stress test of the drivers’ nervous system. Those then they often buy mistakes,” police spokesman Pavel Šváb said at the time.

And the police then showed the same brand that the Slovaks have now started using. But you hardly see it on our roads since then.

Do not enter if you cannot continue. | Source: Police of the Czech Republic

​Some Slovak drivers claim that it doesn’t matter – according to them, the brand won’t work anyway. “People will never understand this, neither the zip nor the correct use of the lights. You can talk about it from morning to night, but it has almost no effect. You need to station the police there and collect money from the till,” points out one of the female drivers at Facebook page of the Slovak police.

“And if I follow it, those behind me will yell at me, why don’t I go when I have the green light,” notes another driver.