Uncontrolled T-Junction With a Motorcycle and a Child
You are driving a loaded light truck east at about 35 km/h on a 7-metre-wide urban road in Mandalay. Ahead is an uncontrolled T-junction where a side road joins from your left. There are no stop or give-way signs, and parked cars obscure the corner. A motorcycle emerges from the side road and stops half a metre into your lane; the rider is looking right, toward you. At the same moment, a pedestrian holding a small child’s hand steps onto the zebra crossing about 15 metres ahead. Behind you, a taxi is following at roughly a one-second gap. The road is dry and visibility is good. Your truck weighs about 2.5 tonnes, your brakes are in good condition, and you will reach the junction in about two seconds.
1. At this uncontrolled T-junction, who should yield to whom, and what makes the situation ambiguous?
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The side-road motorcycle should give way to traffic on the main road because it is joining from a minor road, and there are no signs giving it priority. However, the rider has already stopped half a metre into your lane, so the legal answer does not remove the collision risk. Treat the situation as unresolved: ease off, cover the brake, and prepare to stop. Do not swerve into the oncoming lane or mount the kerb. Make eye contact and let the rider either complete the turn or reverse clear. If the rider moves, give them room; safety overrides the technical right-of-way.
2. The pedestrian and child are now on the zebra crossing. What is your braking and steering plan, taking the taxi behind into account?
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Stop for the pedestrian and child. A zebra crossing gives pedestrians precedence once they are on it, and a child may step out unpredictably. Brake progressively, not sharply, because the taxi behind is only about one second back. Check the mirror, signal early if you have time, and aim to stop before the crossing with a clear gap. Do not swerve around the pedestrian; that would put you into the path of oncoming traffic or the motorcycle. If the taxi is too close, sound a brief warning and leave extra stopping space. Wait until both have cleared your lane.
3. The motorcycle rider edges further out. How do you create a safety margin without creating a rear-end risk?
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Create margin by slowing early and widening the gap, not by a late swerve. Reduce speed before the junction so you can stop within the distance you can see to be clear. If the rider edges out, stop and let them go; a 2.5-tonne truck cannot win an argument with a motorcycle. Keep the taxi behind informed with a gentle brake tap and, if needed, a signal. Avoid sounding a long horn, which may startle the rider. Once the rider is clear and the pedestrian has crossed, move off smoothly and re-establish a two-second gap.