Positioning Near Larger Vehicles: Safe Riding Around Buses and Lorries on French Roads

Operating a Category AM vehicle—such as a moped (cyclomoteur), scooter under 50cc, or light quadricycle—requires a sophisticated understanding of road sharing. Because of your vehicle's small physical profile and maximum design speed of 45 km/h, you are uniquely vulnerable when navigating traffic alongside larger vehicles. Cars, vans, public transit buses, and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs or poids lourds) dominate the visual landscape and present severe, sometimes invisible hazards to a rider.

To ride defensively and legally under the French Code de la route, you must master the art of strategic road positioning. This lesson teaches you how to maximize your visibility, maintain protective safety margins, anticipate the physical dynamics of heavy vehicles, and avoid the catastrophic mistakes associated with blind spots (angles morts).

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The Danger of Blind Spots (Angles Morts)

A blind spot is any area around a vehicle that the driver cannot observe directly or through their mirrors. While passenger cars have moderate blind spots, larger vehicles like vans, buses, and lorries have vast zones of zero visibility. If you ride within these zones, you are completely invisible to the driver.

In France, road safety statistics highlight that collisions between heavy vehicles and two-wheelers in blind spots are among the most lethal urban traffic accidents. To combat this, French law (Article R313-32-1 of the Code de la route) mandates that all heavy vehicles over 3.5 tonnes must display authorized "Attention Angles Morts" warning stickers on their sides and rear.

The Four Critical Blind Spot Zones of Heavy Vehicles

To stay safe, you must memorize and actively avoid the four distinct blind spot zones of any medium or heavy vehicle:

1. The Front Blind Spot: Because of the elevated cabin height of delivery trucks and lorries, drivers cannot see objects located directly in front of their bumper. If you stop too close to the front of a lorry at a red light, the driver may run you over when the light turns green, simply because they do not know you are there.
2. The Right-Side Blind Spot: This is the most dangerous zone for AM riders. It extends diagonally backwards from the passenger door across multiple lanes. Due to the angle of the mirrors and the lack of direct lateral windows, a lorry driver turning right cannot see a rider traveling parallel to them on their right.
3. The Left-Side Blind Spot: Though slightly smaller than the right side because of the driver’s proximity to the window, the left side still contains a large blind spot that covers the area adjacent to the cabin and extends halfway down the vehicle's length.
4. The Rear Blind Spot: Unlike passenger cars, closed vans, buses, and lorries do not have a central rear-view mirror. The area directly behind these vehicles is completely obscured. If you tailgate a large vehicle, you are invisible to the driver and have zero forward visibility.

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Maintaining Safe Following Distances (Distance de Sécurité)

Maintaining a generous gap between your moped and the vehicle ahead is a core legal requirement in France. Article R412-12 of the Code de la route states that a rider must always leave a safe margin to avoid a rear-end collision in the event of sudden braking.

The Two-Second Rule

Under normal driving conditions on dry pavement, you must maintain a longitudinal following distance of at least 2 seconds behind the vehicle in front of you.

Why You Must Increase Your Distance Behind Large Vehicles

A 2-second gap is the bare legal minimum, but riding behind a bus or HGV demands a 3- to 4-second gap for several critical reasons:

• Obstructed Forward Vision: Riding close behind a large vehicle cuts off your view of the road ahead. You cannot see upcoming hazards, traffic lights, potholes, or debris. A larger gap allows you to look around or through the sides of the vehicle to anticipate road changes.
• Severe Flying Debris and Spray: Lorries have large tires that can kick up stones, mud, and water spray. In wet weather, this spray (projections d'eau) can instantly blind your visor or windshield.
• Braking and Reaction Realities: While heavy vehicles take longer to stop due to their mass, modern air-braking systems can stop a truck surprisingly quickly if it is empty. Conversely, if you are riding a moped with small tires, your braking grip is easily compromised by road imperfections or moisture. You need extra space to react and brake safely without locking up your wheels.

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Safe Overtaking of Large Vehicles (Dépassement)

Overtaking a large vehicle on a Category AM scooter is a high-risk maneuver that requires planning, patience, and precise lateral execution. Because your vehicle is speed-limited to 45 km/h, overtaking should only be attempted when the target vehicle is moving significantly slower than your maximum speed (such as a garbage truck, a tractor, or a bus pulling away).

Rules for Overtaking Safely

• Overtake Exclusively on the Left: In France, traffic drives on the right, and overtaking must legally be performed on the left. Overtaking any moving vehicle on the right is strictly prohibited and highly dangerous, particularly near buses that may pull in or out of dedicated bus lanes.
• Verify Mirror Visibility: Before initiating the pass, position yourself so you can clearly see the left side mirror of the large vehicle. This ensures the driver has a chance to spot your approach.
• Execute with Maximum Lateral Clearance: When passing, you must maintain a safe side-by-side gap. According to French safety recommendations:
  • Maintain a minimum lateral clearance of 1.5 metres when passing medium vehicles (vans, small buses).
  • Increase this clearance to at least 2.0 metres when passing large heavy goods vehicles (poids lourds).

When NOT to Overtake

Never attempt to pass a large vehicle if:

1. You are approaching an intersection, roundabout, or pedestrian crossing.
2. Your view of oncoming traffic is restricted by bends, crests, or the large vehicle itself.
3. The large vehicle is indicating a left turn or lane change.
4. Road markings, such as a continuous white line (ligne continue), prohibit overtaking.

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Positioning at Intersections and Roundabouts

Intersections and roundabouts are prime locations for severe side-swipe and squeeze accidents. Heavy vehicles require a massive amount of physical space to navigate turns, a dynamic known as the swept path or overhang swing (le porte-à-faux).

Understanding the "Porte-à-faux" (Overhang Swing)

When a long vehicle like a bus or articulated lorry turns, its rear wheels do not follow the path of the front wheels. Instead, they cut the corner closely. At the same time, the front and rear overhangs of the vehicle swing outward in the opposite direction of the turn.

• The Squeeze Danger: If a lorry is turning right at an intersection, the driver will often steer slightly to the left first to swing the trailer wide. If you attempt to squeeze into the open space on their right side, you will be crushed against the curb or guardrail as the rear of the trailer cuts inward.
• The Swing Danger: If you stop too close to the side of a turning bus, its rear bodywork may swing outward and strike you as it completes its turn.

[ Turning Right Lorry ] 
      \     \
       \     \  <-- Trailer cuts inward (Squeeze Zone!)
  [X]   \_____\
Moped Rider in 
Blind Spot!
================= CURB =================

Safe Positioning Steps at Intersections

To navigate junctions safely around large vehicles, follow this defensive protocol:

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Handling Narrow Roads and Vulnerable Road Users

Narrow rural corridors and tight medieval urban streets in France present severe spatial limitations. When sharing these roads with large oncoming vehicles, you must make immediate, conscious adjustments to your lane placement.

Lane Sharing and Oncoming Traffic

On narrow roads where there is not enough room for a lorry and your moped to pass each other with standard clearances, do not force your way through.

• Reduce Your Speed: Slow down immediately to decrease kinetic energy and buy yourself time to react.
• Seek a Safe Refuge: Look ahead for wider sections of the road, lay-bys, or gravel shoulders where you can stop or pull over to let the larger vehicle pass.
• Maintain Visibility: Avoid hugging the extreme right edge of the road too early, as this makes you less visible to the oncoming driver around bends. Position yourself clearly in their line of sight, then move outward safely as you pass each other.

Protecting Other Vulnerable Road Users

Large vehicles completely block your view of the side of the road. If you are riding behind or passing a parked delivery van or bus, always anticipate that pedestrians, cyclists, or kick-scooter riders (trottinettes) might step out from behind the vehicle where they were previously hidden from your view.

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Summary of Correct vs. Incorrect Driving Behaviors

Understanding the cause-and-effect relationship of your positioning choices is vital for your safety on the road and for passing your Category AM theory exam.

Scenario	Incorrect Behavior (Dangerous)	Correct Behavior (Safe & Legal)
At a red light behind a bus	Stopping 0.5 metres behind the rear bumper, losing sight of the traffic signals.	Stopping 4–5 metres back, keeping the bus's side mirrors in view.
Overtaking a large lorry	Passing with 0.5 metres of clearance on the right-hand side.	Overtaking on the left with a minimum of 2.0 metres of lateral clearance.
An HGV is turning right	Squeezing into the open space on the right of the lorry to beat it through the turn.	Staying well behind the lorry, allowing it to complete its wide-angle turn.
Riding in heavy rain	Tailgating a delivery van to stay out of the wind.	Increasing following distance to 3–4 seconds to avoid blinding water spray.

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Further Reading and Practice

To solidify your understanding of road sharing and safety regulations in France, explore the following semantic resources: