Sharing the road
You stop behind a truck at a red light on an uphill street. Why should you leave extra space in front of your car?
- The truck may roll back slightly when it starts moving. Correct answer
- The law requires exactly 20 feet behind any truck at a light.
- It lets the truck driver back up to make a wide right turn.
Why
A truck or bus starting from a stop, especially facing uphill, can slide backward a little before it moves forward, and a car stopped right behind it is where that slide ends. The manual's advice is to always leave space when you stop behind one at a light or stop sign. There is a second benefit: with room in front of you, you can usually pull out and go around the truck. No fixed distance is set for this; 20 feet is a real number from the same chapter, but it describes the blind spot in front of a long-hood tractor. Trucks do swing wide for right turns, but they do it by moving left first, not by backing into you. On an uphill stop, assume the truck may drift back toward you before it goes forward, and leave the space to let it.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is The truck may roll back slightly when it starts moving.
More on sharing the road
- The truck ahead of you signals a right turn but first moves toward the left side of its lane. What is most likely happening?
- On a two-way highway, a tractor-trailer is coming toward you in the opposite lane. How does its size tend to fool drivers?
- A parent wants to carry a child on a bicycle in New York. Which of these children does the law forbid carrying as a passenger?
- In a single traffic lane, what is the most bicyclists that may ride side by side?