The Right Turn That Doesn't Fit
You are driving a 53-foot trailer with the tandems slid forward, turning right from a two-lane road onto a narrower two-lane road at a corner with a stop sign and a utility pole 12 feet from the curb on the far side. Your trailer's rear axle follows well inside the tractor's path. A cyclist is waiting at the corner on your right, and a car has pulled up close behind you. You have signaled and slowed to about 5 mph, but you have not yet committed to the turn. The lane you are entering is 11 feet wide with no shoulder.
1. How do you set up and execute this turn, and what are you watching?
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Swing wide to the left before turning, take the turn slowly, and watch the trailer's rear wheels and the cyclist - in that order of setup, but all at once.
- Position: move as far left in your lane as is legal and safe before the turn, so the trailer's rear axle tracks inside the corner rather than over the curb or the pole.
- Speed: creep through at walking pace. At 5 mph you can still stop; at 15 you cannot.
- Off-tracking: the rear of a 53-foot trailer cuts the corner sharply. The utility pole 12 feet from the curb is exactly the kind of object a forward-slid tandem will clip.
- The cyclist: do not begin the turn until you know the cyclist is holding position and not entering your path. Your left swing can also pinch a cyclist who tries to pass on your left, so check both mirrors before and during.
- The car behind: it may try to go around you on the right as you swing left. Watch it in the mirror and do not let it into the gap.
2. What if the turn simply will not fit without crossing into the oncoming lane?
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Then you do not force it - you find another way or wait for a safe opening.
Crossing the centerline is sometimes unavoidable for a long combination, but only when it is legal and you can see it is clear. Here the entering road is 11 feet with no shoulder, and the pole sits close to the corner, so a forced turn risks the trailer, the pole, and the cyclist.
Options, in order of preference:
- Wait for a gap and make the turn with a wide swing only when the oncoming lane is visibly clear.
- If there is no safe gap, do not block the intersection; go past and find a place to turn around or a different route.
- Never let a driver behind you pressure you into a turn you cannot complete safely.