Driving 'Hand-Signals" - Do you know what they are???

[TomE_1953]

'Standard Auto/Bicycle Hand Signals' Do you know what they are?

In a previous posting I explained the problems I'm having with my brake lights not coming on unless I press the brake pedal all the way down. I'm fixing that problem now.

For the past month, I've been using the 'ol driving hand signals to warn people I'm slowing down/stoppng. But, I have found out that the "under-30" drivers only know -one- "hand signal" (which they use freely). I've had a few close calls with people almost slamming into me (talking on her cellphone didn't help).

Question?

Don't the current drivers manuals still show hand signals? Do the driver's education folks instruct people what the hand signals are (in the event they don't have signal/brake lights that work)?

I've done a little survey at work and in my neighborhood with various age groups stopping people and asking them, "What are the standard Auto/Bicyle Hand Signals"? You wouldn't believe how many DIDN'T know what I was talking about!

I know most of the readers of this forum know what I'm talking about but wanted you to conduct your own 'test' with family, friends and neighbors to see if they know what the "Driving Hand-Signals" are?

Let me know your thoughts on this topic or what your 'test' results are.

[Guest]

In the "good old days" we used to say that when a Blonde used a hand signal we knew the window was rolled down.

[Guest Skyking]

Most drivers in my state don't even stop at red lights or stop signs, and you want me to ask them if they know what hand signals mean?

[Guest trevor ward]

skyking..............very succinctly put!!!.

As a long time racing cyclist and tri-athlete, it never ceases to amaze me what motorists get up to , I reckon that a lot of people who buy their new car

specify an indicator stalk that breaks off nice and cleanly so that they can "not

bother indicating there intentions" from that very first drive!!!!!!!!!!!, but let me tell you

that cycling shoe cleats can send many a car to the bodyshop

I have never taken ANY crap from motorists and driving my old le sabre makes you a VERY attentive driver............

take it easy 'cos classics dent as well......

TREVOR.................

[Guest John Chapman]

I have to wonder at the sanity of a cyclist who'd deliberately damage a car and/or provoke a driver with 3000+ pounds of steel at his command. Last time I looked, cyclists' safety gear consisted of a helmet, a pair of shoes and six ouces of spandex. The spandex may function well in keeping the larger body parts together. Does the term 'road kill' mean anything to you? How about 'organ donor'? I submit that they also slept through the physics class where the concepts presented in Newton's Second (force and acceleration) and Third Laws (conservation of momentum) were presented.

I had these thoughts recently when a cyclist blew through his side of a four way stop at 20-25 knots, nearly broadsided me (he's <span style="font-style: italic">so, so damned lucky </span> I looked left again as I pulled into the intersection....) and then had the cajones to flip me off. So, he was lucky again that I'm reasonably sane, not under the influence of any substance that impares impulse control, and that I had an important meeting starting in 15 minutes. Which is good, because my 2700 pound pickup at 30 MPH could launch a skinny cyclist and that gnat-weight scooter about as far a nice 7 iron shot.

I used to think it was just the California Cycle Commandos that were like this, but I've discovered the same subspecies in Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Florida... and now a confirmed sighting in merry old England! All are contenders for a Darwin Award ( http://www.darwinawards.com/ ). I think it speaks well of the restraint that drivers have that cyclists survive at all.....

Finally, Tom... given that the average high school grad (blond, blonde, or otherwise) reads at a sixth grade level, has the attention-span of a gerbil, and you can have remedial training for operator permit re-tests, I'm not surprised at your findings. I'd lock my Buick in the garage until the brake lights worked, were I you.

Cheers,

John

[Guest 31tudor]

My respect and apologies, but I must disagree with John.

A cyclist versus a thirty mile per hour pickup would result in something more comparable to a good shot with a pitching wedge, not a seven iron. My figures show a seven iron would require speed around 45.

Who (besides our English friend) fears a cyclist from the interior of an auto? Wear big cleats chap, wear VERY big cleats.

[Fr. Buick]

I'm one of those thirty-somethings, but I remember my handsignals from a cycle-safety class I took at the Anaheim Park and Recreation summer programs as a kid. For you lucky California residents, all that was before the famous Califoria Prop 13. Perhaps Jarvis/Gan did us a dis-service in terms of road-safety...

At any rate, though "young and stupid" and born well after turn signals were standard equipment, I remember! Left arm up at the elbow for a right turn, left arm out to the side for a left turn, left arm down at the elbow for a stop. Do I get a prize?

There is a neat old Dodge truck from the mid 1920's that shows up at Doughnut Derelicts in Huntington Beach. It has a mechanized arm for a signal - a wooden plank cut out and painted like an arm and hand. It swings out to give a signal, controled from inside the cab- Cool! I suppose it kept your arm dry in inclement weather.

Happy wrenching!

[Guest John Chapman]

31tudor...

Thank you for the correction... In a moment of inexplicable insanity, I made my energy transfer calculations on a standard old steel truck bumper instead of an energy absorbing plastic nerf bar....

I'd say a pitching wedge trajectory would be about right... with some variance given for the shape and number of dimples in the 'projectile'...

Cheers,

JMC

[Guest John Chapman]

Fr. Buick...

You win a prize! Don't know what, though.

I'd take exception to your 'young and stupid' reference. As a fifty-something, it has been my observation that stupidity has nothing to do with age, per se. To quote (sort of...) an old axiom: 'Carbon is erroniously credited as the most common element in the universe... in fact, it is stupidity'. I submit that by operation of natural selection, there become fewer 'stupids' as a percentage of cohort population as age increases. This results in us older folks having to deal less with just with the 'plain stupid' but the far more dangerous and insideous 'cunningly stupid'

Given the fact that you've successfully retained information presented at a childhood safety class and like old Buicks moves you significantly up the intellect pyramid.

Cheers,

JMC

[Guest trevor ward]

I must just clarify,..........

I consider myself a very "safe" cyclist! I ALWAYS use the relevant hand

signals to let other road users know of my intentions, and have only "adjusted"

the body work of one car in twenty years of training, my point being that we cyclists have just as much right to use the roads as a motorist, and a car does

NOT have to come by you whilst leaving a gap which can be measured with

feeler gauges!!! So if they take the pi*s, then i let them be aware of my thoughts

about it......COURTESY IS FREE

DRIVE ( AND ) CYCLE SAFELY

TREVOR...................................................

[56Roadmaster]

I am a thirty- something too-my fisrt car in 1987 was a stock Model A coupe.

So I am familiar with hand signals. My theory is not enough people teaching their children hand signals and what about the safety classes give at shools, etc.

Too bad for us in the antiques, but people just are not psychologically aware of them any more, its just like the car hobby, each generation is attracted to what it remebers on the road-out of sight out mind.

However, I still think the hand signals should be taught, on the other hand impatience and inattention are inbred.

[Guest]

I had the little hydraulic brake light switch go out on my '54, so I used hand signals to indicate when I was stopping (the turn signals worked) while I tried to order the part.

I did the proper hand signal with a cop behind me. He pulled me over and gave me a ticket, saying I couldn't do that.

Said I shouldn't be driving the car--didn't care it was my only car and I was picking my son up from daycare. We even got into how my wife couldn't because she also worked full time and was a full time student at night.

The kicker was when he told me he wasn't going to sight me for not having my seat belt on, but could. When I pointed out that I did in fact have a lap belt, he said it had to be a three-point shoulder harness. I explained that the car didn't come with seat belts at all and that I was under no obligation to install them, and he fires back with "They're federally mandated!" to which I reply "so are air bags, dual reservoir master cylinders, padded dash boards and ABS--do I have to put those on, too?!"

And it was two days before Christmas.

If I had it all to do over again, I'd probably do the same thing, but sometimes even the cops don't know what's allowed.

-Brad

[rocketraider]

Having to wait on parts is a good reason to always keep a spare around. Otherwise you run the risk of an encounter with a cop who neither knows nor cares about grandfathered cars. I run into them all the time who don't have a clue about the pre-1967 seat belt regs, the single taillights used up till the late 50s on pickups, ad infinitum. What's wack is that they are <span style="font-weight: bold">all</span> supposed to be able to perform a state vehicle safety inspection, and all that stuff is spelled out in the inspector's training manual.

Had one hassle me once about shoulder harnesses in a 1973 GM convertible, which were not factory installed but could be ordered (less than 5% installation). Finally showed the punk the owner's manual and he let me go.

Next- did you pay off the ticket or appear in court with your documentation? I know Virginia still has the hand signals in the driver's test manual, so that would say to me they can and should still be used. Look at it this way- he probably had to work Christmas and was mad at the world over that. Hazard of the job. Lot of us have 24/7/365 jobs; I've had 5 Christmases off in 23 years and the family accepts that it's part of making a living. They don't know any different way.

I don't know of any federal mandate that old cars have to be retrofitted with later safety equipment. All I've ever seen it address is that all safety and emissions equipment required and installed as of date of manufacture has to be there.

[Guest 31tudor]

I'm 31 years old and I first learned hand signals in the Cub-Scouts. When I was much much older (12 I think) and in Boy Scouts, I received a Cycling merit badge. One of the big requirements were learning, knowing and using hand signals. Thank goodness I was in Cub-Scouts!

When I was 15 years old and attending Driver's Education classes, I was once again reminded (and tested) on hand signals. Maybe we're old fashioned in Utah, but my wife and my kids who ride bikes know what proper hand signals are. Now if I could just get my 3 year old to stop giving the finger like his mom! I'm sure glad he can't reach the horn from the back seat!

[Greg Sealock]

As a law enforcement officer in the State of Nebraska for the last nine years, I want to let everyone know that most all of my co-workers and I are well aware of state laws regarding grandfathered vehicles and safety equipment. Just remember, no matter what your vocation there are bad eggs everywhere. Do not let your opinion of an occupation be formed based on one or two of the bad eggs. I am a 31 year old, who knows his hand signals (not just the ones I get while driving a marked police vehicle), and knows and loves his classic Buicks. I beleive, as was mentioned in one of the earlier posts, my love of Buicks should make up for my age (and occupation).

[Guest]

I took the drivers test 8 years ago and the DMV guy asked me to show him the hand signals. But I think most drivers don't expect to see hand signals much like they don't expect to see motorcycles. In other words, in both situations pretend you are invisible!

As far as bicycleist I would have to agree that most are idiots. Whenever I ride my bike on city streets I always stay on the sidewalk. I don't care what the law says, I bet 1000x more cars use the roads than pedestrians use the sidewalk. I use my common sense. It makes me mad when I am driving in a narrow lane and a slow biker is taking up half of it. Its dangerous to him and all the other drivers on the road! When I come across bikers that are hogging the road when their is a wide open sidewalk next to them I usually gun it as I go past and watch them cough in my rear-view mirror.