Right Turn at a Tight Corner With a Cyclist and a Backed-Up Street
During the on-road driving test, the examiner directs you to make a right turn from a four-lane arterial onto a 30-foot-wide street. You are driving a 40-foot bus. A cyclist is in the bike lane on your right, about 35 feet behind your rear axle. A pedestrian is waiting on the corner, and the crosswalk is clear. Parked cars line the right side of the new street, and a bus stop sign is 20 feet past the corner. The light is green, but traffic in the new street is backed up, leaving only about 45 feet of clear space beyond the crosswalk. Your right rear wheels track inside the front wheels. The examiner is scoring smoothness, traffic checks, and lane position. You must decide how to approach, when to turn, and what to do if the rear wheels approach the curb.
1. How should you approach the turn, including speed, lane position, signals, and mirror checks?
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I would signal early, slow before the turn, and position the bus in the right lane without swinging left into the adjacent lane. I would check the right mirror and right blind spot for the cyclist, and I would not turn across the cyclist's path if the cyclist is close and going straight. The cyclist is about 35 feet behind my rear axle, so I need to decide whether to let the cyclist pass before I commit.
I would also check the crosswalk and the pedestrian, watch the parked cars and bus stop on the new street, and use the right mirror through the turn. Speed should be slow enough to stop if the cyclist or pedestrian moves unexpectedly, but not so slow that I block the intersection unnecessarily.
2. The new street has only about 45 feet of clear space beyond the crosswalk. Should you start the turn immediately?
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No. A 40-foot bus needs the entire coach to clear the crosswalk and the intersection. If only about 45 feet is clear beyond the crosswalk, I could stop with the rear of the bus still in the crosswalk or blocking the intersection. I would wait before entering the turn until there is enough space for the whole bus on the new street.
When I do turn, I would turn into the right lane, keeping the rear wheels clear of the curb and parked cars. Because the rear wheels track inside the front wheels, I need to allow for off-tracking without turning so wide that I cross into the oncoming lane. I would use a slow, smooth arc and keep checking the right mirror.
3. What should you do if the right rear wheels approach the curb during the turn?
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I would stop before the wheels touch the curb, assess the position, and decide whether a controlled adjustment is possible. On the skills test, touching or mounting the curb is an error, and on the road it can damage the tire or throw the bus off line. I would not jerk the wheel farther left at the last second, because that can swing the front into the oncoming lane or hit a parked car.
If I have room, I would straighten or make a small controlled correction; if not, I would stop and let the examiner know I need to reassess. The key is to catch the problem early through mirror use, not to gamble on the rear wheels clearing the curb.