I have recently been having real trouble with judging this properly especially with longer class 2’s. Can anyone recommend a sure-fire way of knowing when you’re clear, especially on the nearside. Although I’ve been driving for almost a year now and am fairly confident I sometimes have to get out and LOOK just for making a basic right turn for fear of hitting a parked car or a side wall on narrow streets.
Any help much appreciated
ps - there should be much more emphasis on this whole thing in the test as I didn’t even realise how real and dangerous it can be til i knocked a bollard clean off it’s axis a few weeks ago! Yes i admit it, but that’s the first step to improving right…?
Speaking personally, i always try to take more room than i need, even if it looks un-necessary to other HGV drivers, keep well over to the centre whenever possible, and head straight for the opposite pavement before starting the turn, if there is a car parked right opposite the jnct you are turning out of, then its probably just your road position that will cure the possibility of the tail swiping smthg on the way out. Im sure many of the more experienced drivers will have a better contribution to make to you, but thats my 2 penn’orth anyway!!
smile!:
ps - there should be much more emphasis on this whole thing in the test
The trouble istest vehicles often don’t have too much overhang to worry about but some of the rigids, especially 6 wheelers with a rear lift have about 12’ from axle to back when the rear is lifted.
Many of the lines that you have to take in a rigid look absurd compared to those taken by an artic, which sometimes seem to sliver round the corner that you have had to use the opposite side of the road to scrape round. OK so maybe that’s exaggerating but it can seem that way.
