Illegal pointsmen warning in South Africa

Load-shedding has resulted in unemployed people starting to direct traffic at intersections for tips. This has created a dangerous situation where traffic lights are sabotaged to generate income.

MasterDrive CEO Eugene Herbert said residents have pointed out that certain traffic lights are disabled during daylight hours and are back on again at night.

“No official action or confirmation of this was issued. Whether suspicions are true or not, drivers should be particularly wary of following the directions of illegal pointsmen,” said Herbert.

“It is extremely dangerous for untrained individuals to direct traffic in some of the busiest and most complex intersections in South Africa.

“Official pointsmen and traffic officers receive training to safely direct drivers and decrease the risk of collision [and] illegal pointsmen have neither the training nor the authority to do the same,” added the MasterDrive CEO.

This has been particularly pertinent in the country’s economic hub. The City of Johannesburg has asked motorists not to tip illegal pointsmen.

“If they are involved in disconnecting the lights, removing the financial benefit will discourage this,” said Herbert.

“This can be difficult as there are reports that some illegal pointsmen get aggressive and even violent if not tipped.”

He suggested that drivers anticipate traffic conditions to limit the time they are stationary, leave larger following distances or spaces between their vehicles and the ones in front, and keep windows closed and valuables out of sight to limit interactions with illegal pointsmen.

Additionally, it is recommended that the authorities handle the issues and avoid initiating negative contact.

Herbert urged drivers to not give illegal pointsmen the same faith and trust that you would give trained officials.

“Even those with training in alleviating traffic flow recognise there is higher risk of collisions under manual direction. Never proceed through an intersection with blind trust,” said the MasterDrive CEO.

“Check all directions as you would if there was no one directing traffic.

“Remember, an illegal pointsman has no legal authority either. If you proceed despite seeing a potential collision, neither authorities nor insurers will care that you were directed to do so by an illegal pointsman,” he added.

In theory, one should ignore directions from illegal pointsmen as they have no authority. In reality, however, this can be difficult.

“When there are drivers following their directions, it may result in a situation where not following the traffic flow can be more dangerous [so] wherever possible, treat intersections without traffic lights as a four-way stop,” said Herbert.

He said that if surrounding drivers follow directions of the illegal pointsmen making it difficult to stop, follow the flow of traffic while being extremely cautious.

Slow down as much as possible and check all directions for drivers who are ignoring the directions.

Herbert emphasised that while some intentions may be positive, an illegal pointsman has no authority or training to manage intersections.

“The correct response can be difficult to decide on as it is unique to each situation.”

“Make the most informed decision possible with the understanding that intersections without working traffic lights should be treated as four-way stops if there is no official pointsman directing traffic,” said the MasterDrive CEO.

Read: How to stay safe on South Africa’s roads during the festive season