Right-Turning Truck at a Wet Intersection
A rider is in the right lane of a four-lane city street in New Orleans, stopped at a wet intersection behind a tractor-trailer. The truck's right turn signal is on. The truck has swung left, opening a gap on its right. The rider wants to go straight. The light turns green. The rider's front tire is 6 feet from the crosswalk; the truck's rear wheels are still 15 feet ahead. A car behind is honking. The pavement is wet, and there is a painted crosswalk and a painted stop bar. The truck's trailer has a 'wide right turns' sign. The rider's DOT helmet is fastened and the headlight is on. The rider has a two-second following distance and is positioned near the right edge of the lane.
1. Should the rider accept the gap on the truck's right and proceed straight? Explain the hazards and the correct lane position.
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No. The gap on the right is the most dangerous place to be. A tractor-trailer making a right turn needs the left swing to position the trailer, and the trailer's rear wheels will track inside the turn, cutting across the space the rider would occupy. The rider would also be in the truck driver's blind spot, and the wet pavement plus painted crosswalk reduces traction for an emergency stop. The correct action is to hang back behind the truck's rear wheels, not beside the trailer. If the rider intends to go straight, the rider should wait until the truck has completed the turn or until there is clear space on the left to pass a stopped truck legally and safely. The car honking behind is pressure, not information. The rider's lane position should be centered or slightly left in the lane, not at the right edge, to preserve an escape path and visibility.
2. If the truck begins the turn and the rider is already beside the trailer, what is the best escape action?
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The rider should not try to beat the trailer. If the rider is beside the trailer and the trailer starts coming across, the best move is to slow or stop in a straight line, sound the horn, and look for an escape to the left if that space is clear. Braking straight up is more reliable on wet pavement than swerving onto painted lines or into the truck's path. The rider should avoid target fixation on the trailer and instead look at the open space. If the trailer is already closing the gap, the rider may need to stop and let it pass, even if that means the car behind must wait. The reasoning is that a loaded trailer cannot stop or turn like a motorcycle, and its rear wheels follow a tighter path than the cab. The rider must yield rather than assume the driver saw them.
3. What following distance and lane position should the rider use after the truck completes the turn, and why does the wet crosswalk matter?
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After the truck clears, the rider should re-establish at least a three-second following distance in wet conditions, and more if visibility or traffic is poor. The rider should ride in the left or center portion of the lane rather than the right edge, so oncoming drivers and turning vehicles see the motorcycle and so the rider has room to escape left. The wet crosswalk matters because painted road markings are slick when wet; braking or turning on them can cause the front tire to slide. The rider should cross the paint upright and avoid combining braking with a lean. The earlier two-second gap was too short for a wet intersection behind a large vehicle. The general judgment is to create space before the hazard, not to fill a gap just because it opened.