Right turn with a trailer across a cycle path
On a wet Saturday at 16:40 you drive a 12.0 m service bus with a 3.4 m luggage trailer (combination 15.4 m, width 2.55 m, height 3.55 m) in a Danish town. The road is a single carriageway with a 50 km/h limit. You intend to turn right into a bus terminal whose gate is 3.2 m wide and bordered by concrete pillars. A raised cycle path runs along the right side, and cyclists have priority when you cross it. A traffic island tightens the turn, and the trailer tracks about 1.2 m inside the bus's path. Two cyclists are approaching from behind on your right at about 20 km/h. The terminal forecourt slopes down 4% toward the gate, and a staff car is parked just inside, leaving 4.5 m clearance. Your left mirror is misted. You have 12 passengers and a schedule to keep.
1. Plan the approach and the turn. What must you check and do before crossing the cycle path, and how do you allow for the trailer?
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Approach in the right-hand lane, signal early and reduce speed so you can stop before the cycle path if a cyclist is there. Use both mirrors and the blind-spot check; the misted left mirror must be cleared before moving. Because the trailer cuts in, do not turn tightly around the island: take a wider entry only if you can stay on your side and not put other road users at risk. The law gives cyclists on the cycle path priority when you cross it; a right-turn collision is usually the driver's responsibility. Let the two cyclists pass, make eye contact if possible, and do not wave them on in a way that conflicts with other traffic. Watch the trailer's tail swing at the gate and use the right mirror; if the geometry is unclear, stop and get a guide. Keep the turn slow and continuous, and do not stop with the trailer blocking the cycle path.
2. The gate is 3.2 m wide and the bus is 2.55 m; the forecourt slopes. Is it acceptable to enter without a spotter? What is your decision?
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On width alone there is only (3.2 - 2.55)/2 = 0.325 m each side, which is less than a comfortable margin for a bus with a trailer on a 4% slope. The parked car leaves 4.5 m, but the trailer's swept path and the misted mirror make a solo attempt unreasonable. My decision is not to enter until the car is moved and a competent person guides me at the pillars. I would clear the mirror, switch on hazard lights if stationary in a risky place, and ask terminal staff for a hi-vis guide. If no guide is available, I would stop outside the gate and ask passengers to walk the last short distance rather than risk a collision. The schedule does not justify the risk; a damaged bus, trailer or pillar is worse than a two-minute delay.
3. A cyclist ignores your signal and passes on your right as you begin to move. What do you do?
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Stop immediately and stay stopped. The cyclist has right of way on the cycle path, even if they appeared suddenly and even if I had signalled. Check the right mirror and the trailer's path before moving again; the cyclist may be in the blind spot or may have been forced toward the kerb. Do not sound the horn aggressively or move forward to 'claim' the turn. After the cyclist has cleared, re-check both directions, then complete the turn slowly. If contact occurred, stop, secure the scene, call 112 if anyone is injured and exchange details; do not leave. The key judgement is that the trailer makes the turn slow and blind for several seconds, so the driver must expect late-appearing cyclists and keep the combination stationary until the path is clear.