Narrow Bridge and the Overhanging Load
At 07:30 you are riding a 150cc motorcycle with one passenger at 50 km/h on a rural road. Ahead is a narrow bridge 40 m long. On your side of the bridge, a broken-down lorry occupies about half of your lane; it has no warning triangle and its rear reflector is dirty. An oncoming bus is 60 m from the bridge and is already moving at about 40 km/h. Your lane is otherwise clear behind you except for a minibus 10 m back that is tailgating. The passenger is not holding the grab rail. Your front brake works but the lever feels slightly spongy. You must decide whether to enter the bridge first, stop, or squeeze past the lorry. Explain the right-of-way principle at an obstruction and how you would negotiate the bridge with the tailgating minibus behind.
1. Who has right of way at the obstruction, and why does the tailgating minibus not change that?
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The obstruction is on your side, so the basic right-of-way principle is that you yield to oncoming traffic already using the narrow bridge. The bus is 60 m away and moving at about 40 km/h, so it will reach the bridge quickly; you cannot assume it will stop just because the lorry is in your lane. Your correct position is to slow early, stay behind the lorry's line, and wait for a clear gap rather than squeeze past. The tailgating minibus behind you does not change the priority; it only means you must brake earlier and more progressively so the driver behind has time to react. If the bus has not yet entered, you may proceed only after checking that the bus is actually slowing and that the bridge is clear for its full 40 m length. Priority is not a race; it is a gap you can complete.
2. What sequence of actions would you use to negotiate the bridge if the bus does stop?
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Sequence: check mirror, signal left to show you are moving out around the lorry, reduce speed, and position just left of the lorry's rear corner so you can see and be seen. Do not commit until the bus is visibly slowing or has stopped. If it is clear, cross the bridge at a steady low speed, keeping the passenger's weight balanced and avoiding any sudden steering input near the lorry. Because the passenger is not holding the grab rail, tell her to hold it or your waist before you move. The spongy front brake means you need a longer stopping distance, so enter the bridge slower than you would normally. Keep left once past the lorry, and do not accelerate until the minibus behind has also cleared the bridge and you have a safe gap.
3. The bus driver flashes his headlights. How should you interpret that, and what do you do next?
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A headlight flash is ambiguous. It can mean the bus driver is inviting you through, or it can mean the bus is coming and is warning you to stay put. Treat it as information, not permission. The safe interpretation is to wait until the bus has actually reduced speed or stopped and the bridge is visibly clear. If the bus continues at 40 km/h and flashes, assume it is claiming the bridge and remain behind the lorry. If the bus stops and the driver waves you through, still check for a second vehicle behind the bus that may be overtaking, and check that the lorry has not begun to roll. Proceed only when you can see the whole bridge and the far exit. The cost of waiting is a few seconds; the cost of a wrong assumption is a head-on crash.