A large truck is ahead of you and is turning right onto a street with two lanes in each direction. The truck:
- May complete its turn in either of the two lanes.
- May have to swing wide to complete the right turn. ✓
- Must stay in the right lane at all times while turning.
Answer: B. May have to swing wide to complete the right turn.
The truck may have to swing wide to complete the right turn, so give it room and do not pull up alongside it.
Why this is the answer
The handbook explains that on any vehicle the rear wheels track a shorter path than the front wheels, and the longer the vehicle the bigger that gap. Because a large truck is long and not easy to maneuver, its driver often has to swing wide to get the trailer or rear end around the corner. That is also why you should read a truck's turn signals before passing: it can look like it is turning one way while it is actually swinging the other way to set up the turn.
Why the other answers are wrong
- A. May complete its turn in either of the two lanes. — A truck turning right is not free to finish in whichever of the two lanes it likes; the wide swing is a maneuver forced by its length, not a choice of ending lane.
- C. Must stay in the right lane at all times while turning. — The handbook says large vehicles often must swing wide to complete a turn, so holding the right lane at all times is exactly what a long truck may be unable to do.
Remember it
Before you pass a truck near an intersection, check its signals and give it space, because the direction it appears to be turning may not be the direction it is swinging.