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Hand signals
By Ralph Banasiak
Posted: 2020-04-25T22:00:00Z

As the weather warms and “sanity cycling” beckons us to overcome stay-at-home fever, the streets will fill with more and more riders.  Whether they are out for fresh air, recreation or physical fitness, faster pedalers will overtake slower ones, and both will have to deal with moving vehicles.

 

When riders share the road with others, whether on two wheels or four, a standard set of signals is used to indicate major changes in motion or direction.  You want to make sure that a vehicle or another rider behind you knows your next move. For simplicity sake, here are the most commonly used signals:

 

·       For a left hand turn, extend your left arm out straight. 

·       For a right hand turn, extend your right arm out straight.

·       To show you are slowing or coming to a stop, bend your left arm at the elbow and point it down.

 

However, be aware that cyclists like me, who still remember the charm of black and white TV, may use a different signal for a right hand turn. We bend our left arm at the elbow and point it up like the second figure below.

 

This diagram illustrates the four most commonly used hand signals.  As with any signals, in a vehicle or on a bike, they are most effective when displayed 25-50 yards ahead of the change in motion.  







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