bowwow

Cyclists who do not know or do not use the uniform code of signaling are doing a great disservice to all bicyclists and automobile drivers.

Voicing your opinion on a forum such as this is fine. Riding the roads of America and making up your own signals or neglecting to use any signals is poor behavior. Automobile drivers would know and understand the signals if all bicyclists would know and use them.

Simple stuff.

Eric F 

Extending the right hand to signal a right turn is not "making up your own signals". It's a legal signal for cyclists to use, as indicated in the vehicle codes of many/most states.

cyccommute 

Not usually by much. The whole point is to have vehicle laws that are similar across the US.


Okay. Poorly worded. The NHSTA makes suggestions. Their suggestions are usually adopted.


I could find no state that specifically prohibits it. There are lots and lots of states that allow the use of right hand/right turn signal for bicycles. I doubt that you’d be cited in any state that doesn’t specifically allow it.

cyccommute 

From “Colorado Statutes : TITLE 42 VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC: REGULATION OF VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC : ARTICLE 4 REGULATION OF VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC : PART 14 OTHER OFFENSES : 42-4-1412. Operation of bicycles and other human-powered vehicles”, section 9a

And, for the people who are worried about using the signal through the turn, Colorado statue covers that as well in section 9b

For Michigan “MICHIGAN VEHICLE CODE (EXCERPT) Act 300 of 1949 257.648 Operation of vehicle or bicycle; signals for stopping or turning; signal lamp or mechanical signal device on commercial motor vehicle; violation as civil infraction,”

This was put into place in 2014. See the bottom of the link above.

It is allowed by law in your state (and mine) and is not a “made up signal”. You can free yourself from a law imposed by the width of a car.

njkayaker

The history is more complicated. The right-hand-extended is a good example of that. It wasn't adopted at the same time by the states (it was done over quite a number of years). The variability of the "safe passing" laws are another example (some states have it; some states don't; and they don't all use the same distance).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffi..._United_States

One repeated problem in this thread is people not actually looking at what their state says is legal. There are a few people here insistent on the left-hand when their state allows the right hand.

I doubt that it's "usually" now. Most states tend to be reluctant to change their traffic laws.

The left-hand thing was long established (100 years ago?). The right-hand thing is more recent. While it's possible that all states allow it, it wouldn't be surprising that there are still a few hold-outs.

That's a separate thing (but I agree with it).

mschwett 

interestingly, in california there are many official and semi-official references which make no reference to the right-hand version of the right turn signal. several advocacy and legal websites don’t mention it at all, or refer to it as unofficial.

and yet, it’s very clearly in the CVC, and looks like it may have been since at least 1976?!?

njkayaker

How hard is it to look up the laws in your state before voicing your opinion?

njkayaker

You can't trust these secondary sources. They can miss stuff (either to make things simpler or just being a mistake).

ceebee4

Update: just got back from a ride. Turns out, I take my right hand off the handlebar all the time! To adjust my glasses, to wipe the sweat off my face, and especially to grab my bottle. At least as often as I take my left hand off the bars to signal, maybe even more. Only noticed this time because my initial comment on this topic sparked the most response I've ever gotten on this forum. So apparently, signaling with my left arm because it's a braking issue was something I made up as a justification.

Actually, I simply like doing it that way... because I've always done it that way. I learned I concocted at least one reason for sticking with it when most other riders seemed to signal in another fashion. It was always just an affectation. Now I know. But also, now that I know it's as acceptable as pointing with either hand, I'm going to stick with it.

So going forward, I won't (any longer) judge others for pointing their directionals. I'm hoping my fellow cyclists, among the best people by definition, will grant me the same courtesy. Thanks for the convo.. and the education.

livedarklions

I think that's a perfectly good reason. Trying to do one you're not used to is just going to make it more difficult to time it right, etc. Better to do the one that comes automatically to you. I probably wouldn't throw the left-handed one just for the same reason.

Great post, by the way.

bowwow

Totally agree. Right hand extended is absolutely part of the code. Just as left arm up for a right turn and left arm down for stop or slow down. If ALL cyclists would use these signals ALL of the time, before long, motorists would understand them and cycling would be much safer.

Eric F 

Funny you mention that. As I was riding last night, I was noticing the times I take my right hand off the bars to do all those things, and how it related to this discussion - LOL

livedarklions

I still contend that in all my decades of riding and driving, I have never once seen a cyclist actually signal a stop.

Eric F 

Riding single-file behind a friend last weekend, between parked cars and traffic, he used a left-hand-down signal to let me know he was slowing down. It was pretty helpful actually.

Sy Reene

Do you ever ride in groups? I see it all the time in those cases. Likewise if I'm stopping and I know there happens to be cyclists nearby and behind me, I will use this eg. on the side of the road if I want to stop for some reason, since they're likely sharing my approximate line.

For regular car traffic and if there's a stoplight or stop sign, it's not terribly important because hopefully the car behind you will be seeing the same signal. And, unlike cars which have brake lights and turn signals, bicyclists making turns, would have to figure out how to do 2 signals at the same time and they tend to opt for the turn indication over the stopping indication.

As to right turn signaling, I can't recall ever seeing a cyclist use the left arm bent method around here, only the right arm extended. Take that for what its worth, but I'll go with what is the most common over something more archaic every time.

Sy Reene

Good point, of course the dilemma is what to do when both conditions exist -- ie. there's both a group and traffic.

bowwow

The code is right hand OR left arm. Denying the left arm signal in favor of the right arm is in essence, making up your own set of signals.

bowwow

I know the law. It hasn't changed in fifty years!

bowwow

agreed

chaadster

Well, I remember being at odds with the League of Michigan Bicyclists and MMBA on this silly pointing right thing back in ‘13, and it was signed into law in ‘14, IIRC.

It was introduced by the same Republican who introduced a bill to start charging prisoners sales tax, so that might give you an idea of the headspace this idea occupies.

njkayaker

??? So, it's some sort of republican plot? In other states too?

It makes no sense that there's no problem pointing left but pointing right is some sort of disaster.

Chinghis

Wow, I did not realize this had grown to an 11-page thread.

Didn't read everything, but from my perspective, I use my left hand to do all the signaling so that I have my hand on the rear brake. If I'm signaling a right turn with my right hand and have to stop suddenly, I'll probably go over the bars. Of course, ti's all theoretical, but I do feel more secure doing it that way, because I'm usually in traffic, approaching an intersection, etc. Default brake is the rear, if you can only use one.

Now, if we could just get the people in my neighborhood who walk in the street to walk on the [i]correct[/] side of the street, i.e., facing traffic. It triggers my pet peeve when I approach them from behind and they have to turn and see if they're about to get hit by a car. So many people who've never lived in the country, or know simple rules of the road.

chaadster

I don’t think so, no.

None of what you’re saying makes much sense to me, either.

cyccommute 

From the MICHIGAN VEHICLE CODE (EXCERPT) Act 300 of 1949, Section 257.648
Apparently the law in Michigan has changed in 50 years…apparently 4 times. The last one, allowing for the use of right hand/right turn signals was only 7 years ago.

The problem the rest of us are having with you “left arm only” guys is that while it is still legal to use the left arm, it is also allows for using the right hand for signaling. You (and others) keep acting like it is wrong and, more importantly, illegal to use a right hand/right turn signal.

Eric F 

Ummm...no. That's not what it means. The code allows for a cyclist to use either method to signal a right turn. There is no indication anywhere that the right hand should only be used if the left hand is unavailable, or that signaling with the left hand is the preferred method. Both are legal, and a cyclist may choose either one.