Sharing the road
On a two-way highway, a tractor-trailer is coming toward you in the opposite lane. How does its size tend to fool drivers?
- It seems to be moving more slowly than it really is. Correct answer
- It seems to be moving faster than it really is.
- It seems closer than it really is, so drivers move over too early.
Why
Size plays tricks on judgment. A large truck coming toward you often looks slower than it really is, and from far away it may also look smaller than it is, so it reaches you sooner than you expect. The manual warns against underestimating both its speed and its size. The second option reverses the effect; it is motorcycles, small and easy to misjudge, that can seem farther away and harder to read. The third invents a problem the manual does not describe, and in fact the manual suggests keeping as far to the right as you can on a two-way road so an oncoming truck does not hit you. Assume the oncoming truck is both faster and bigger than your eyes report, and move right accordingly.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is It seems to be moving more slowly than it really is.
More on sharing the road
- 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?
- A motorcycle ahead has had its turn signal blinking for several blocks without turning. What should you keep in mind?
- Why is following a motorcycle closely especially risky?