You’re running late and you have one turn left to make in your commute. And then, the semi-truck in front of you slows down, takes over both lanes, and then makes a careful, very wide turn. What is the reason for this and is it really necessary?
Why do trucks need to make wide right turns: Semi-trucks need to make wide right turns because they have a higher center of gravity and are pulling very long trailers. Right turns can be very tight, even with the construction of medians, so a truck needs to go slow and take up two lanes to turn in a safe manner. Never pass on the right side of a truck and pay attention to how they signal so you can help keep the road safe.
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What is a wide turn?
A wide turn may have different definitions, but generally, it refers to when a vehicle needs to take up more space than the allotted lane they are in. While some cars may need to make a wide turn at a tight corner, it is generally larger vehicles, such as semi-trucks that have more need.
Road lanes are all pretty standard. They are 10 feet wide. The average car is about 5.8 feet wide while a semi-truck is a massive 8.5 feet wide.
Cars will naturally move over to the far side of a road lane as they make a right turn. They are able to do this because they only take up about half of the total width of the lane.
In contrast, semi-trucks are not able to move over at all. They already take up almost the entire width of that lane.
Why do trucks make wide turns?
Even if a truck is able to make the turn on its own, it will still show extra caution by signaling to move into the other lane and then executing a wide turn.
Good drivers are safe drivers. They know that there are many limitations when driving such a large vehicle.
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The height of a semi-truck can be up to 14 feet high. For perspective, a car is only 5 feet tall and even an SUV is only 5.6 feet tall.
With a larger height, there is a greater risk of tipping over. There were even reports of some brands of SUVs tipping over when they were first introduced to the market.
The extra height of a semi-truck means that taking a sharp corner, especially at a fast speed, can result in the truck tipping over. To avoid this, trucks need to take slow, wide turns.
How do you make wide turns?
Making a wide turn involves leaving as much of a gap between you and the corner you are turning. A right turn is a lot tighter as the arc of the turn is short, whereas a left turn will give you more movement ability as you cross through a whole other road.
Most major roads will have some form of meridian so that the right turn isn’t a complete 90-degree angle. However, there are still plenty of city streets that don’t have this gentle turn installed.
Using the space in the lane next to you is how you can execute a right turn in a safe manner. However, you can’t simply cross lane markers as this can cause an immediate accident.
Instead, turn your signal on and wait until the cars around you are aware of your intent. Check all of your mirrors multiple times to see if any cars have moved into your turning area.
Then, slowly make your right turn. Again, check to see if any impatient cars have moved into your turning area.
Try to get into your single lane as soon as possible once you make the turn. Traffic on the perpendicular road may not be aware you are finishing a wide turn, so won’t be ready to have one truck take up two lanes.
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Still, it is much better to go slow as any sudden movements while turning can result in the whole trailer falling over, which can be catastrophic.
Why should you give more space to a truck making a turn?
In the fight between a car and a truck, the truck will always win. No matter how impatient you are or how late you are, you should always give more space to a truck when they are making a turn.
One of the many road rules is that you should never pass a semi-truck on its right. Even though trucks have a system of mirrors, you might find yourself in a blind spot or the driver might just be distracted from the rest of the road.
Even if a truck driver thinks about how they will be turning, a lot can potentially go wrong. They may have thought the angle was wider or may not have noticed unexpected debris on the road. There may even be a sudden stop in traffic up ahead that was unanticipated.
Whatever the reason, a semi-truck may have to change its driving pattern to accommodate many unforeseen circumstances. Allowing them plenty of space means the driver can slow down or move around more easily, and thus will avoid an accident.
How do truckers warn when making wide turns?
A truck driver will need to take up two lanes in order to execute a wide right turn. While it doesn’t always happen, a truck should signal to alert other drivers about what is about to happen.
First, a truck driver will signal that they are moving to the left lane. Then, they will go slowly and take up half of the left lane and half of the right lane.
They should then switch their signal to indicate they are heading for a right turn. Finally, the truck will turn right. Depending on how sharp the turn is, they may need to take up part of both lanes on the adjacent road, but this will only be for a short while.
Conclusion
Semi-trucks need to take up two lanes when turning right in order to create safe driving conditions. Their high center of gravity and long trailer length means a tight right turn can lead to them toppling over.
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHY
