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Difficulty: MediumLarge Goods Vehicles (LGVs)

You are following a heavily loaded Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) up a steep incline, and it comes to a complete stop due to queuing traffic ahead. Why should you leave a significantly larger gap than usual behind the lorry?

  1. A
    To give yourself sufficient room to pull out and undertake on the nearside if the lorry struggles to restart
  2. B
    To allow the lorry driver to clearly see your flashing headlights as an invitation to move off first
  3. In case the lorry rolls backwards when moving off and to ensure your vehicle stays visible in the driver's mirrorsAnswer
  4. D
    To enable you to accelerate uphill quickly without carrying out your own blind spot checks

Answer

In case the lorry rolls backwards when moving off and to ensure your vehicle stays visible in the driver's mirrors
When a large goods vehicle stops on a steep uphill gradient, the driver must coordinate the accelerator, clutch, and handbrake under high engine load, which may cause the vehicle to roll back slightly as it moves off. Furthermore, high-sided commercial vehicles have a substantial blind area directly behind the trailer. Leaving a generous gap ensures you are not struck if the lorry rolls backwards and allows the lorry driver to see your car in their exterior side mirrors.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the physical handling characteristics of heavy goods vehicles on uphill gradients.
Recognise that large, laden commercial vehicles require extra clutch control and may roll backwards momentarily when starting on a hill.
Heavy loads place significant strain on the transmission, increasing the risk of slight roll-back before forward momentum is achieved.
2
Evaluate the visibility and blind spot zones around large goods vehicles.
Determine that stopping close to the rear of a high-sided vehicle completely removes the car from the lorry driver's side mirrors.
The driver of an LGV relies entirely on exterior side mirrors; stopping well back ensures the car remains within their field of view.
3
Select the safety response that mitigates both the roll-back risk and the blind spot hazard.
Maintain a generous gap behind the stopped lorry.
A generous safety margin prevents a collision if the lorry rolls back and keeps you visible to the driver.

Key Concept

Leaving adequate space behind stopped large goods vehicles on hills to account for rollback and rear blind spots.
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Large Goods Vehicles (LGVs)

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