To avoid your vehicle's wheels going over the curb or sidewalk while making a right turn, what should you do?
- Make the turn tight
- Drive well ahead into the intersection before turning to the right ✓
- Turn on your hazard lights
- Slow down considerably before the turn
Answer: B. Drive well ahead into the intersection before turning to the right
You should drive well into the intersection before you start turning right, so the rear wheels follow a wider arc and stay off the curb.
Why this is the answer
The handbook explains that a long vehicle's rear wheels track inside the path of the front wheels, which it calls off-track. To handle that, you lead the turning arc by the amount of off-track; otherwise the rear wheels of the unit can run over curbs and sidewalks. It says plainly that you may need to proceed well into the intersection before beginning the turn. The passage also suggests taking more space from the road you are leaving than from the road you are entering, moving close to the left side of your lane before turning.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. Make the turn tight — A tight turn is exactly what pushes the rear wheels inside the front wheels' path and over the curb, so it is the opposite of what the handbook advises.
- C. Turn on your hazard lights — Hazard lights are not mentioned anywhere in these passages about turning, and they do nothing to change how far the rear wheels track.
- D. Slow down considerably before the turn — Slowing down gives you more control, but the handbook ties running over curbs to leading the turning arc rather than to speed, so slowing alone does not fix the problem.
Remember it
Lead the arc: get well into the intersection first, then let the back wheels follow the path your front wheels have already cleared.