The Wide Right Turn
You are riding west on a two-lane road with a center turn lane. Ahead, a tractor-trailer in the right lane slows to about 10 mph and activates its right turn signal, but it drifts left until its cab crosses into the center turn lane. You are 60 feet behind in the right lane at 25 mph. The trailer's rear wheels are still roughly 40 feet from the corner. A line of cars has formed behind you. The driver of a red hatchback two vehicles back honks, pulls into the left lane, and begins to pass. The right shoulder is narrow and covered by a drainage grate. You want to continue straight through the intersection. Your front tire is in the right tire track, and the truck's trailer marker lights are flashing.
1. Why is the tractor-trailer moving left, and which area around it should you treat as a no-go zone?
Read the worked answer
The truck is setting up a wide right turn. A long trailer's rear wheels track inside the cab's path, so the driver swings left to keep the trailer off the curb and away from the corner. The no-go zone is the right side of the truck, especially the space between the trailer's right side and the curb or shoulder. If you move up on the right, the trailer will sweep toward you as the driver completes the turn; the drainage grate also removes an escape path. Do not assume the signal means the truck is turning immediately or that it will stay in the right lane. Hang back far enough that you can see the truck's right mirror and the driver can see you, and do not try to squeeze past before the trailer clears the corner.
2. The hatchback begins passing on the left while the truck is still drifting left. What should you do?
Read the worked answer
Do not follow the hatchback. The truck has already crossed into the center turn lane, and its cab or trailer may move farther left as the driver completes the turn. A pass on the left puts the hatchback in a closing gap with limited escape room, and if the truck stops or swings back, you would be trapped behind a crash. Stay in your lane, reduce speed early, and create a gap from both the truck and the passing car. If the hatchback blocks the left lane, do not use the right shoulder or the grate as an escape route. Cover the brakes, watch the truck's front wheels and trailer tires, and be ready to stop before the corner rather than enter the intersection.
3. If you decide to stop, where should you stop and how should you position the motorcycle?
Read the worked answer
Stop well before the corner, not in the trailer's swept path. Choose a spot where you can see the truck's right mirror and where the driver can see you, with enough room to back away if the trailer keeps coming. Keep the bike upright, front wheel straight, and both brakes available; do not stop on the drainage grate or in the narrow shoulder. Leave a gap from the car ahead so you are not boxed in if the hatchback reverses or the truck stalls. If traffic behind is close, flash the brake light early and gradually reduce speed so the driver behind has time to react. After the trailer clears, scan the intersection and proceed only when you have a clear path.