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Question

Difficulty: MediumLarge Goods Vehicles (LGVs)

While travelling along a rural road, you see an oncoming heavy lorry approaching an arched railway bridge. In what order should you carry out the following actions to negotiate this hazard safely?

  1. 1Identify the arched bridge and anticipate that the lorry must position towards the centre of the road to gain clearance.
  2. 2Check your interior and door mirrors to assess traffic following behind before decelerating.
  3. 3Bring your vehicle to a complete stop well back from the bridge opening to give the lorry plenty of room.
  4. 4Wait until the lorry has passed entirely through the bridge structure and returned to its side of the road before proceeding.

Answer

1. Identify the arched bridge and anticipate that the lorry must position towards the centre of the road to gain clearance; 2. Check your interior and door mirrors to assess traffic following behind before decelerating; 3. Bring your vehicle to a complete stop well back from the bridge opening to give the lorry plenty of room; 4. Wait until the lorry has passed entirely through the bridge structure and returned to its side of the road before proceeding.
High-sided and large goods vehicles often require the full height available under the centre of an arched bridge to pass safely. Drivers meeting an oncoming LGV must first anticipate this manoeuvre early, check mirrors before braking, stop well clear of the bridge arch to give the lorry priority, and remain stationary until the vehicle has safely cleared the bridge.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Scan ahead and recognise the arched bridge and the oncoming lorry's need for headroom.
You anticipate that the lorry driver must take the centre of the road to avoid striking the low curved edges of the bridge.
Large goods vehicles are taller than typical cars and require the maximum vertical clearance provided only under the centre apex of an arched bridge.
2
Check rear-view mirrors before applying the brakes.
You evaluate the speed and distance of following traffic to brake progressively and safely.
Mirror checks prior to any change of speed prevent rear-end collisions from vehicles following behind.
3
Stop your vehicle well before the entrance of the bridge.
The oncoming lorry has an unobstructed path through the narrow arched structure.
Leaving generous space prevents creating a bottleneck and ensures the lorry driver does not have to stop on an awkward approach or clip the bridge.
4
Hold your position until the lorry has completely cleared the bridge and reclaimed its lane.
The road ahead is completely unobstructed for your safe onward travel.
Articulated or long vehicles take time to clear a hazard, and moving prematurely risks a side-swipe or head-on collision.

Key Concept

Recognising road positioning requirements of high-sided Large Goods Vehicles at arched bridges and applying proper MSM routines.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Large Goods Vehicles (LGVs)

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