If there's no one behind you or coming up on you I would back up. I don't know what the law would say specifically, but I seriously doubt any officer would give you a ticket for safely avoiding a collision. If you cannot back up safely wait and see if he stops. They are MUCH better at judging the abilities of their truck than you are. Odds are they already know before the turn if you're in any danger. An accident with a ticket could cost them their career, they aren't just guessing out there.

You area allowed to stop and back up. Legally trucks have the right to make wide turns, and if need be, cut into incoming traffic as long as they do not slow oncoming traffic when they first started their maneuver.

The semi does not have the right a way. This is an everyday occurence, especially with deliveries in a close, downtown area. Common sense prevails here as well as good road manners. Lawfully, the semi is on the wrong side of the road, in order to make a wide turn. you do not have to back up as the opposing driver. but, i believe the majority of the motorists would co-operate. If an accident occurs, the semi would be at-fault. Lane restriction violation.

From a long hard turning flatbed truck driver ... (one of the hardest and widest turning vehicles on the road) The lines at the intersection are there to give us enough room to make a right turn IN MOST CASES. If you are in this situation, you are usually stopped for a red light. If you are not over the "stop here line" there should be enough room for the truck to not curb their back tires or take out a light pole making the turn. Most professional drivers are aware that the motoring publc has little understanding what a large truck needs to do to manuver especially in congested tight city situations. Pay attention to what the driver is doing. If we need you to do something we will signl you. If it doesnt look like we are haveing difficulty we probably arn't. If we cant make it we will stop and let your light turn green and let you guys sort things out. We do APPRECIATE "4-wheels" being aware of our needs and your curticy to us in trying to help! There are many times we will have no problems when you are where your SUPPOSE TO BE, behind the intersection line ( that's why they are there and sometimes staggered for different lanes. Someone did the math already! . I am sure it is unnerving to see a big semi making a wide turn in front of you and looking like its coming straight at you. Relax! Trust us! We need to get the rear tires beyond the corner before we can cut back to the right. We will usually go wide and deep then cut an exstream right to drag the front of the trailer back into our lane. The problems happen on the other end of the truck. Cars going right in the same lane as us getting between our trailer and the sidewalk. I have had this happen even with a pedestrian talking on her cell phone. Not realizing how long I was and seeing the front og the truck so far away starting to cross and not realize 50 feet in back the trailer wheels were close to the curb. If we cant make it ... MOST of us will stop, and sit there, before we will ever hit you. We are not angry when we do that. Its just our way of signaling you that we cant make it and your gonna have to deal with it when its safe for you to do so. We need a clean driving record to work! Its our lively hood and if you hit us were safe hehehehe :D WE PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS DO APPRECIATE CONSIDERATE 4-WHEELERS. Thanks for your help! If everybody tried to stay out of each others way and give the other "guy" a break and work with each other to make it smooth for all of us, the roads would move a lot smoother. Its the people who think their special and run right up to the merge line or whatever and force themselves in at the last minute that really make it bad for all the rest of us. I hope this helps! We really appreciate 4-wheelers cooroportion and we are all more than happ to help you when you are. Happy Motoring and god bless us all! wildrose

all i know is that the answer lies within two limits 1) at fault 2) not at fault

Im not a lawyer. I really don't know Washington, State? Law. I do like the, if you have so many cars in back of you, your impeding traffic law in Washington State. I also really like the little places for those that are to pull over to let um go by, though my 68' would never fit in one :) I would say .... If your out of the box, ahead of the stop line in the intersection, and I have a Green light, I already stopped for a stop sign or I got there first I have the right of way. Now... on a three way intersection where many have controls for one, or two of the lanes and I encroach into your lanes making a turn into the street your driving on, legally, I would say that you have the right of way. Depending on the circumstances ect ect it could go either way. No one, not cars or trucks have any right to encroach on an opposing lane of traffic OR to enter an intersection, whether the light is green or not UNTIL there is sufficent clearance to clear that intersection. It really is not legal to clog an intersection on a green and expect right of way when it turns red to get out of the way. If you cant make it across the intersection you not suppose to be in it. Stuff happens and it is such a judgement call. I say this because ... Cars see us stopped at a green light in a traffic jam not going because there isnt space for us to get through the intersection and maybe they dont understand why. Another good one ... two side streets close together on the same side. Second one has a light. My truck is long enough that when I stop for the light I will block the first intersection. I have to stay behind the first intersection to wait for the light at the second. Another one. Intersection with rail road tracks, I am crossing both. I have to stay behind the tracks. I am, and I am sure cars too, NEVER SUPPOSE TO STOP on ANY TRACKS! I cant even shift going over them. I am not allowed/suppose to shift in any intersection. We have to leave it in what ever gear we started in until the back of our truck clears the intersection behind that stop line, where your parked? huh. Cause I know you always stay in back of the white line, that "box" I write of. Huh? ;-) New York City has special intersections, and they are very well marked, that if you get caught in the intersection, "Out of the box", your in deep deep dodo. There is a cop watching too. Though that's pretty common in NYC at many intersections. DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT, or the mind police will hit ya with a $25 ticket hahahahaha. fun truck facts from 60 mph takes me 300"feet, a foot ball field to stop YOUr car 120' Why do you speed 80 miles an hour to pass me to cut me off to jamb on your brakes and get off the exit? Under MANY conditions when I lock up my brakes my trailer tries to pass me, because the wheels are locked and have no traction. It's like having a tiger by the tail, I'm just along for the ride with the side of the trailer crashing into my cab 3 feet from my head. My tractor weighs 20,000 lbs my trailer full weighs 60,000. Which one is gonna win? answer: Trailer ALWAYS wins. Were not truck drivers were trailer pullers! :D Going up a hill a car cuts me off. It takes me a mile to get back to speed and I cant even see the car who did it by then! Hard enough to get up a hill with out getting a brake job or someone who just cant wait to merge. Right of way: me your merging if you don't know how I don't have to slide over to let you in. I will if its safe for me to do so but I have right of way. Chances are the cars to my left wont let me cause they don't have to and most don't care about us anyway their too busy talking on the phone to notice what were doing. nuff of this. I hope I have given all thoughts to ponder when your trying to peacefully co-exsist with us big lugs on the roads at 65mph. Trucks can be so disastrous and as I said, when it happens there is really little I can do to try to help. I will do all I can to to try to save us both. Please try to give the other guy a break no matter what they're driving. wildrose

I am so glad life is NOT black and white!!! I really love the whole spectrum. Especially the subtle shades and hues my 2¢ worth. rose