In this scenario, does the lorry in front of you in the same lane pose a hazard?

In the video you are driving on a road outside town and approaching a junction marked with sign A-6a; far ahead of you, in your lane, there is a lorry, and on the left an articulated vehicle is waiting on the minor road. The lorry driving ahead of you in the same lane is not a hazard. The answer is: no.

The Road Traffic Act requires you to keep the distance necessary to avoid a collision if the vehicle in front brakes or stops, and the principle of limited trust tells you to be prepared for unusual behaviour by others only when the circumstances suggest it. The lorry is driving far ahead of you, in the same direction, at a steady pace; it is not braking or signalling a turn - nothing in its behaviour suggests that it will force you to react suddenly. A hazard is an element of the situation which may force you to change your path or to brake; here such an element is more likely the articulated vehicle on the left, which wants to join your road. For the lorry, ordinary caution is enough: you keep a safe distance and watch its brake lights, especially since it may slow down before the junction.

Legal basis: Art. 19 para. 2 point 3, Art. 4 and Art. 3 para. 1 of the Road Traffic Act (Prawo o ruchu drogowym); § 5 para. 2 of the Regulation on road signs and signals