Do not stop or ride alongside the right side of a truck or bus at a junction, and do not wait directly in front of it. Those are the two places where a heavy-vehicle driver is most likely to have no view of you at the moment the vehicle turns or pulls away. A safer position is one where you can see the driver in the mirrors, and the surest way to avoid the problem is to stay out of the vehicle’s blind spots altogether.
A blind spot is any area around a vehicle that the driver cannot see directly or in the mirrors. Cars have them, but on a truck or bus they are larger and sit in exactly the places a cyclist tends to occupy when filtering to the front of a queue.
Why junctions are the danger point
Quebec’s auto insurance board, the SAAQ, notes that many collisions involving pedestrians or cyclists happen at intersections, and that front and right-side blind spots are often the cause. Two situations come up again and again: the right turn, and the start from rest.
Scenario 1: the truck is turning right
The SAAQ describes crossing alongside a heavy vehicle that is turning right as dangerous because the driver cannot see cyclists in the right-side blind spot. The geometry adds to the problem. A long vehicle needs extra room to make the turn, so it may drift into the left lane first. That leaves a gap on its right that looks like free space to a cyclist, and the SAAQ’s advice for that moment is blunt: do not try to pass it on the right.
Bike MN, the Minnesota bicycling handbook published by the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota, goes further. Its rule is absolute: do not overtake a truck or bus on its right-hand side, whether or not a bike lane is marked and whether or not the vehicle is stationary.
Both sources describe right-hand traffic, so “right side” in this article means the side nearest the curb where vehicles drive on the right. Check how this maps onto your own local traffic rules.
Scenario 2: the truck is about to pull away
The SAAQ lists crossing in front of a heavy vehicle that is about to start moving as another common accident type. Its front blind spot can be large enough that a cyclist directly ahead is not seen by the driver.
So stopping directly in front of a truck, even if you feel visible because you are “in the driver’s face”, is a poor idea. At a red light, stop well behind the vehicle, or somewhere the driver can clearly see you.
Where to position yourself
| Position | What the sources say | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Beside the truck, on the turning side | Right-side blind spot; driver cannot see you | Do not pass or wait there; hold back |
| Directly in front of the cab | Front blind spot can hide a cyclist | Do not cross or stand in front when it may start moving |
| Close behind | Rear blind spot if you follow too closely | Leave a longer gap |
| Where you can see the driver’s mirrors | If you cannot see the driver in the mirrors, they cannot see you | Use as a quick test, not a guarantee |
A practical routine for each junction
- Look ahead for the vehicle before you reach it. Spot trucks and buses early so you are not forced into a decision beside one.
- Assume you are unseen. Bike MN advises riders to presume they are hidden whenever they share a large vehicle’s side of the road. Such blind zones commonly sit beside the vehicle, just behind it, or ahead of it.
- Check for a turn signal. Bike MN advises watching for it. A signal on the side you are approaching means do not go there.
- Stay behind a vehicle that may turn. Waiting a few seconds costs almost nothing compared with an inside-of-the-turn collision.
- Do not cut in front. The SAAQ warns that a heavy vehicle then lacks room to brake in time and you will likely end up in its blind spot.
- Keep your following distance. The SAAQ notes that following too closely leaves you in the rear blind spot.
The mirror test, and its limits
Bike MN gives a simple check: if you cannot see the driver in the mirrors, you are hidden from them. That only works in one direction. Seeing the driver does not guarantee the driver has seen you, so treat the mirror check as a minimum, and keep your distance from the vehicle anyway.
Building the habit into your route
Routes with fewer heavy-vehicle junctions reduce how often these decisions come up. Our notes on mapping a safe cycling route to work cover how to choose one, and the broader basic rules of cycling on roads cover lane position and signaling. Group riders face the same problem at a larger scale; see how to ride safely in a group.
Rules about filtering past stopped traffic and about bike-lane use differ by place, so check your local traffic code. Where the law lets you pass on the right, the visibility problem described above still applies.
Sources
- Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec: Blind Spots and Unsafe Practices
- Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota: Commercial Vehicles (MN Bicycling Handbook)
Last reviewed: October 2026.