Right Turn Across a Bike Lane With a 53-Foot Trailer
You are driving a 53-foot trailer with the tandems set 8 feet forward of the rear. You approach a right turn from a two-lane road onto a two-lane road. A bike lane runs along the right side of your lane, and a utility pole sits 12 feet from the curb on the far side. Your trailer's rear wheels will off-track inward. You are 10 feet from the intersection when the light turns green; a cyclist is 30 feet behind you in the bike lane. The road is dry. The trailer is loaded to 30,000 pounds, and your right flat mirror shows the trailer side but not the rear tandem wheels. You must decide how to position the tractor, when to start the turn, and how to protect the cyclist.
1. Where should you position the tractor before turning, and why is a wide swing not enough?
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Move the tractor toward the left side of your lane, or into the left lane only if it is legal and clear, to give the trailer room. Do not swing right before the turn; that would put the tractor across the bike lane and toward the cyclist.
A wide swing is not enough because the trailer's rear wheels off-track toward the inside of the turn. With a 53-foot trailer and the tandems 8 feet forward, the rear tandems can cut several feet inside the tractor's path. Swinging wide may keep the tractor out of the curb, but the trailer still cuts the corner. A wide swing can also put you into oncoming traffic. The turn must be controlled with the trailer's path in mind, not just the tractor's.
2. When should you initiate the turn, and how do you monitor the trailer when the flat mirror does not show the tandems?
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Start the turn later than you would in a car, when the tractor's front wheels are at or just past the far curb line. Turning early makes the trailer cut the corner; turning too late can put you into the far lane. Use the right convex mirror to watch the trailer's rear wheels and the curb. Because the flat mirror does not show the tandems, lean forward, adjust the mirror if needed, or stop and check if you lose sight of them.
Also watch the utility pole on the far side. In a right turn the trailer's rear overhang swings outward, opposite the turn, so the tail of the trailer can move toward that pole even while the tandems cut inward. If you cannot see the trailer's path clearly, stop before the turn rather than guessing.
3. The cyclist is 30 feet behind in the bike lane. What is your plan, and why does the trailer's length change the risk?
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Signal early, slow down, and do not accelerate into the turn. The cyclist is close enough to reach your right side while you are turning. The safe plan is to stop before the turn if there is any chance the cyclist will be alongside the trailer, let the cyclist pass or stop, and then turn only when the bike lane is clear. Do not assume the cyclist will stop or yield.
The trailer's length makes the risk worse because the rear of the trailer can still be in the bike lane after the tractor has turned. The trailer's rear wheels also track inside the tractor's path, so a cyclist who is behind you and to the right may be in the space the trailer is about to occupy. Check the right mirror continuously through the turn and keep the turn slow enough to stop if the cyclist appears.