Watch out for other Traffic at Intersections

Consider the animation video above. A tractor-trailer was headed east in the outside lane. At the same time a person riding a bicycle was stopped at the southwest corner of the intersection. The driver of the tractor-trailer attempted to turn right from the outside lane. The trailer off-tracked (wheels of the rear axle track inside the circular paths of the front wheels) and struck the bicyclist. The truck driver didn't know he hit anyone and was stopped by a witness further down the road. There are both software programs and formulas to determine the off-tracking of different vehicles based on their dimensions and speed. Analysis showed that the driver encroached on the sidewalk causing the incident. The investigating officer noted that the driver of the tractor-trailer's failure to safely meneuver the turn was the contributing factor of the collision. The driver was also charged with "turning when unsafe". While the cause of this collision was the path of the trailer intersecting with the pedcyclist, it is important to keep aware of what is happening around you when at or near traffic. Had the pedcyclist seen the trailer heading towards him he might have been able to avoid being struck. Though the pedcyclist wasn't at fault, keeping a watch out can save your life.