Commuting - Signaling turns in the dark

So now that DST has ended, my evening commutes will be quickly getting darker.

How do you all signal your lane changes and turns in the dark?

Excellent question. I've been thinking about using a rubber band type setup and adding a small light to the back of each hand. :) Not sure it will work, but I'd like something.

My morning commute now has a bit more light, but the ride home is noticeably darker. My gloves do have reflective material, and I assume it works reasonably well, but I can't tell, obviously.

I have an old elasticized pants wrap with a reflective strip on it that I will put on my wrist.

I'm not using this so far (don't use gloves at all), but looks interesting:
http://alertshirt.com/trafficgloves.html (http://alertshirt.com/trafficgloves.html)

Doubt it has padding though.

You could just get some decent reflective tape and make an arrow on your forearm (tape it to your most commonly worn outer layer). At worst, you might have to redo it every week or so, but reflective tape is relatively inexpensive.

I have some map pockets designed to keep maps on your forearm while riding a motorcycle, and that would make a nice base for something similar. (you can check out the map pockets at aerostitch,com if you're interested).

Reflective ankle straps around my wrists.

There are some good ideas in here so far. I may sew some reflective tape to my gloves.

http://www.dontgethit.com/slapbracelets.html

I like the arrows made of tape idea.

The local REI had a lime-green reflective safety sash in their bargain bin for about a dollar. It had some really bright reflective material sewn to a felt backing. I've been cutting pieces off and sewing them onto panniers, my cycling shoes, and the cycling gloves I use on night rides. People who have driven by me at night have commented on how bright the patches are so I'm pretty confident that my hand signals can be seen.

Reflective tapes look like a good idea but do you think drivers will realize that what they see is a cyclist signaling a turn?
I commute in a rural area with very very light traffic so I don't have to worry about this sort of things, I just look over my shoulder and go if there's no car.

Reflective tape sounds good. I have a helmet light and wear gloves that are white on the back. I shine the light at my outstretched arm to light it up. With cooler weather I will be wearing a highly reflective jacket, bright yellow or orange, but actual reflective tape would enhance any hand signals.
Some kind of blinkers would seem ideal, but I use a rear flashing taillight so that could confuse the signal. The main thing is to let another road user (including cyclists) know why you are slowing or getting over to a left lane.
Be safe!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQRIV2/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

I ironed this on all my jackets and jerseys - back, sleeves and ankles.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQRIV2/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

I ironed this on all my jackets and jerseys - back, sleeves and ankles.

You ironed it on? It seems like regular adhesive tape. How long has it lasted so far?

I found this heat-transfer (iron-on) tape:

http://www.amazon.com/transfer-reflective-Safety-tape-1x16-White/dp/B009CDZGKK/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1352243702&sr=1-1-catcorr

$12 for 16 feet.

I'd like to put this on the back of my jacket:
http://flbikelaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/bmuflgoi.jpg

Reflective ankle straps around my wrists.

This, or some form of it...

Bright orange jacket + reflective elements on my gloves. Seems to do the job for me so far.

Lane positioning. If you're on the center line it's pretty obvious you *might* be turning left very soon.
Tweaks to your route to find well-lit intersections or lower traffic.
Time your approach to intersections to allow cars to go through first. There are some where I pull off the road until there is a good gap to get across dangerous intersections; worst case I'll do box turns or go pedestrian mode in a crosswalk.

Doesn't the jacket you wear at night have reflective piping or strips on it? Mine has very reflective piping down the backs of the sleeves. I also light up (four rear lights), and carefully use the lane. The ones that scare me are the ones that forgot to turn on their headlights, they won't notice me even if they see me...

Amateurs! Rank amateurs, the lot of you! :p


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtNEPkwCfxA&sns=em

http://web.media.mit.edu/~leah/LilyPad/build/turn_signal_jacket.html

The problem with clothing that has reflective, or lighted marking on it, is that it must be the right temperature to wear that article of clothing. That's a deal breaker for me. I want about 100F to 15F range of temp use.
I use reflective ankle straps on my wrist. There are many different things like them. The snap bracelet ones look nice. One of the guys I ride with has lights that go on your fingers with Velcro. He also has flashing rings for warm weather. My driving experience behind my friends on bikes, tells me that when the cars get close they can see your arm if you have a light colored jacket. The reflectors work great, but, the small lights like on that jacket in the video disappear when the car headlights are close to the bike. Just like a weak taillight does.

I turn my handebars in the direction I'm going to be turning.

only works if you have a ridiculously bright handlebar mounted headlight.
People see the big white light cone on the floor and know you're going that way.
also, if they ignore it, the beam melts them.

I have a pair of reflective velcro straps that I fasten to my wrists. Doesn't actually point the intended direction, but it gives drivers a pretty good idea.

i use the turn signals integrated into the dedicated and segregated bike lane :D

Doesn't the jacket you wear at night have reflective piping or strips on it? Mine has very reflective piping down the backs of the sleeves. I also light up (four rear lights), and carefully use the lane. The ones that scare me are the ones that forgot to turn on their headlights, they won't notice me even if they see me...
Reflective turn signals won't have much effect on drivers who otherwise can't/don't see a cyclist in front of them.

Get lights and appropriate reflectors and don't worry about visible hand signals. What do cyclists expect drivers to do when they see a cyclist hand signal at night, even if the driver sees the signal and recognizes it as turn signal? Slam on the brakes and yield right of way? I wouldn't count on it

If a cyclist can make a safe turn and the hand signal isn't intended to get a driver to alter his course, why bother with it?

Makes more sense for a properly lit cyclist to pick appropriate gaps in traffic for safe turning maneuvers and not depend on turn signals at night to make a space/gap for a cyclist in traffic.

Don't wanna wear the jacket? Fine!

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41U3YjzSiwL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
http://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Turn-Signal-Tail-Light/dp/B007HONH34/ref=sr_1_6?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1352302941&sr=1-6&keywords=bicycle+turn+signals

A jacket would be way too warm. Last night was in the 30s and I was a little hot in a sweatshirt. I think I'll put lines down my sleeves and wrap some reflective bits around my gloves.

There really is no other way to get where I need to go without going a few miles out of my way. This is the suburbs, so street lighting is poor and this particular turn is a T-intersection with no turn lanes.

@I-Like-To-Bike - I agree that you shouldn't expect a signal to cause drivers to yield, but if there is space, it will stop them from trying to pass you as you initiate your lane change (as happened to me last night at my sole left turn).

Makes more sense for a properly lit cyclist to pick appropriate gaps in traffic for safe turning maneuvers and not depend on turn signals at night to make a space/gap for a cyclist in traffic.

Sometimes picking an appropriate gap in traffic isn't an option. There's one particular spot on my commute home in San Jose, CA where the traffic speed is usually around 45mph, the road is 1 lane in each direction, and motorists tend to follow each other very closely. Immediately after a freeway overpass, the eastbound direction (the way I'm heading) opens up to 4 lanes at the traffic light (Left, Straight, Straight, Right). I need to make a left turn. Throwing my left arm out is the only way I can let people know that I need to turn left. There's absolutely no way I'm just going to wait for a gap in traffic, because it's simply not going to happen. 9 times out of 10, someone will slow and allow me over. Otherwise, I've either got to go straight (if the light is green and no one will let me over), or I wait for the red light, and the cars to stop, so I can make my way over to the left turn lane, in between the stopped vehicles.

A jacket would be way too warm. Last night was in the 30s and I was a little hot in a sweatshirt.

you having hot flashes? or hammer to keep up to traffic speeds? 25 + MPH .

I have a Carhartt parka, neon lime, and wide reflective stripes.

I got a sweatshirt, same company, same layout,

but I miss the front Windblock when I wear it.

@I-Like-To-Bike - I agree that you shouldn't expect a signal to cause drivers to yield, but if there is space, it will stop them from trying to pass you as you initiate your lane change (as happened to me last night at my sole left turn).

My idea/scenario of sufficient space to initiate a bicycling lane change in traffic would not be affected by a motorist speeding up to overtake the cyclist's previous location to the right.

The cyclist sees sufficient room to merge left and makes the lane change quickly, takes appropriate position for turn and the merge is a done deal. An exception would be a reckless motorist who decides to pass the cyclist in the opposing traffic lane, and that type of reckless driving is unlikely to be mitigated by a cyclist's cryptic (to an obtuse motorist) hand signals in the dark.

Of course your experience and cycling environment may indicate different techniques, but I wouldn't stake my health or safety on the use of ineffective hand signaling, especially in the dark hours.

Of course your experience and cycling environment may indicate different techniques, but I wouldn't stake my health or safety on the use of ineffective hand signaling, especially in the dark hours.

Agreed! But I do find that hand signals work well in the daylight. A motorist would have to be pretty stupid to not realize that an arm outstretched to the left means I want to go left. :)

Sometimes picking an appropriate gap in traffic isn't an option. There's one particular spot on my commute home in San Jose, CA where the traffic speed is usually around 45mph, the road is 1 lane in each direction, and motorists tend to follow each other very closely. Immediately after a freeway overpass, the eastbound direction (the way I'm heading) opens up to 4 lanes at the traffic light (Left, Straight, Straight, Right). I need to make a left turn. Throwing my left arm out is the only way I can let people know that I need to turn left. There's absolutely no way I'm just going to wait for a gap in traffic, because it's simply not going to happen. 9 times out of 10, someone will slow and allow me over. Otherwise, I've either got to go straight (if the light is green and no one will let me over), or I wait for the red light, and the cars to stop, so I can make my way over to the left turn lane, in between the stopped vehicles.
Sounds like you do have an option, i.e. position yourself to the right lane/shoulder and turn with help of a red traffic signal, but you prefer to use hand signals which work 90% of the time.

What do you do the other 10% of the time after your hand signal proves ineffective and you are stuck in the wrong lane to make the turn and in the midst of unyielding 45mph traffic?

Agreed! But I do find that hand signals work well in the daylight. A motorist would have to be pretty stupid to not realize that an arm outstretched to the left means I want to go left. :)

True but the OP is concerned about the hours of darkness.

And then we run into anal cyclists who insist on using right hand turn signals that few motorists have seen since they last studied a driver's handbook, umpteen years ago.

My take on cyclist hand signals is that they can be used as a courtesy to other users of the street/highway, but should never substitute for using the cyclist's eyes and brain to select the appropriate time and place to turn or change lanes in traffic. Cyclist hand signals should NEVER be depended upon for anything unless the signal is clearly and unmistakeably received and acknowledged by affected motorists.

Sounds like you do have an option, i.e. position yourself to the right lane/shoulder and turn with help of a red traffic signal, but you prefer to use hand signals which work 90% of the time.

What do you do the other 10% of the time after your hand signal proves ineffective and you are stuck in the wrong lane to make the turn and in the midst of unyielding 45mph traffic?

I go straight and take an alternate way home, that adds a few minutes to my commute. It's not a big deal in this case, but sometimes throwing your arm out and hoping for someone to slow down is the best option (as it is in my case). Of course the situation varies depending on the conditions - is the light red or green? If it's red, I'll just approach the light and work my way over to the left turn lane. If it's green, I'll attempt to make my way over to the left lane, but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way.

I prefer to take the lane in most instances where there is no bike lane, but this is one area that I won't do that unless traffic is fairly light. So, I guess that's another option for me, but in most cases, it'll just slow down traffic and piss people off. Especially since the traffic light can already be torturously long due to the light rail trains that takes priority, and people are already impatient and want to get through that light as quickly as possible.

That particular intersection is where I've had the vast majority of my altercations and near-misses with motorists. The rest of my commute is pretty pleasant.

There really is no other way to get where I need to go without going a few miles out of my way. This is the suburbs, so street lighting is poor and this particular turn is a T-intersection with no turn lanes.

How would a pedestrian cross the street if he needed to get to the other side? The reason I ask is that you can always ride to that spot then dismount and walk. Now you are a pedestrian and may be a little safer. Not ideal of course but better than getting rundown because someone didn't see your hand signal that you needed to get over or whatever.

How would a pedestrian cross the street if he needed to get to the other side? The reason I ask is that you can always ride to that spot then dismount and walk. Now you are a pedestrian and may be a little safer. Not ideal of course but better than getting rundown because someone didn't see your hand signal that you needed to get over or whatever.

No sidewalks or crosswalks there, and I've never seen a pedestrian on that road. Here's the spot: https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=valley+road+and+shaub+lane&aq=&sll=41.117935,-77.604698&sspn=5.46185,9.09668&vpsrc=0&t=h&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Valley+Rd+%26+Shaub+Rd,+Manheim+Township,+Lancaster,+Pennsylvania+17601&ll=40.096753,-76.295543&spn=0.010833,0.017767&z=16&layer=c&cbll=40.096788,-76.295666&panoid=T9wEWd2hoB_g9r7T2Xw9eA&cbp=12,284.02,,0,2.72

I use winkku turn signal mirrors. I have been using them for almost two years now. No issues at all with them. I like them because they are mounted on the handlebars, so there is enough distance from the centerline of my bike (and my tail lights) so that drivers can tell at a distance that I am turning.

you having hot flashes? or hammer to keep up to traffic speeds? 25 + MPH .

I have a Carhartt parka, neon lime, and wide reflective stripes.

I got a sweatshirt, same company, same layout,

but I miss the front Windblock when I wear it.

Ha, no I'm just always a little warmer than others.

suppose I could substitute the sweathshirt for a jacket, but I already have the vest and other non-reflective jackets. It seems silly to buy another jacket if I can get the same result in another way.

How much traffic are you encountering there? Seems a fairly quiet road and being only 2 lanes I would probably do what I suggested anyhow and dismount and walk across or post up in the last driveway before the shoulder ends and wait for your time then and proceed on bike. Does not answer the overall question of hand signals at night but maybe alleviates this one intersection.

How much traffic are you encountering there? Seems a fairly quiet road and being only 2 lanes I would probably do what I suggested anyhow and dismount and walk across or post up in the last driveway before the shoulder ends and wait for your time then and proceed on bike. Does not answer the overall question of hand signals at night but maybe alleviates this one intersection.

It really fills up at rush hour. Sometimes I'll get a break in the traffic and it's no issue, but usually I have to pull off while signaling and wait for someone to let me in.

I never noticed that driveway on the right, that could be a good place to pull in and wait for a clearing.

Those Winkku lights look nice too. I like how they mount on the mirror so they're not confused with a rear blinky.

Yeah, I think the Winkkus have merit, too, but boy, are they in need of a style makeover! It would seem they proceed from the notion that what is good for Mercedes Benz is good for bicycles!

They're way to big and garish for me, even, and this from a guy with purple rims and yellow fenders!

in all seriousness, though, I can see those being pretty optimal for certain riders in certain conditions. Thanks for making me aware of those, Xtrajack!

282506

True but the OP is concerned about the hours of darkness.

And then we run into anal cyclists who insist on using right hand turn signals that few motorists have seen since they last studied a driver's handbook, umpteen years ago.

My take on cyclist hand signals is that they can be used as a courtesy to other users of the street/highway, but should never substitute for using the cyclist's eyes and brain to select the appropriate time and place to turn or change lanes in traffic. Cyclist hand signals should NEVER be depended upon for anything unless the signal is clearly and unmistakeably received and acknowledged by affected motorists.

Really? Are right hand turn signals uncommon in the US? Coming from a different country, I'm pretty used to those, and have been using them here once I figured they were legally right. Guess I will have to switch to the awkward left hand signal for turning right.

Really? Are right hand turn signals uncommon in the US? Coming from a different country, I'm pretty used to those, and have been using them here once I figured they were legally right. Guess I will have to switch to the awkward left hand signal for turning right.
To be clear, a few anal cyclists insist on using their left arm to signal right turns because that is what is technically correct though almost totally useless as a signal to motorists about cyclist intentions. Usually such signal do nothing positive (why bother signalling a right turn at all) and only confuse drivers who haven't a clue about what that cryptic signal means.

http://www.dontgethit.com/slapbracelets.html

I have these and use them. Got them for free at our "Ride to Work" day. City transport gave away.

If a cyclist can make a safe turn and the hand signal isn't intended to get a driver to alter his course, why bother with it?

Makes more sense for a properly lit cyclist to pick appropriate gaps in traffic for safe turning maneuvers and not depend on turn signals at night to make a space/gap for a cyclist in traffic.

+1

To be clear, a few anal cyclists insist on using their left arm to signal right turns because that is what is technically correct though almost totally useless as a signal to motorists about cyclist intentions. Usually such signal do nothing positive (why bother signalling a right turn at all) and only confuse drivers who haven't a clue about what that cryptic signal means.
In your ill-reasoned opinion, anyway.

Of course the situation varies depending on the conditions - is the light red or green? If it's red, I'll just approach the light and work my way over to the left turn lane. If it's green, I'll attempt to make my way over to the left lane, but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way.

Why not just always move over as early as possible? Start signalling a block back. I do that on teh $%^%!* Ralston/101/airport left turn. Lots of lights and get over super early. Motorists do seem to get it.

My gloves have reflective tape on it. And I scan back before the signal and then signal depending on the direction. I don't use the proper signaling for right from the DMV books. Just put out arm left or right and look at the driver's eye. Im thinking of getting some sort of LED bracelets. Maybe someone has an idea and could recommend some.

In your ill-reasoned opinion, anyway.

OK, Mr. Reasonable, what is YOUR opinion about the informative value of cyclists using their left arm to signal right turns, especially in the dark?

Or are you just sniping for sport?

Hey now, everyone. No fighting in my thread. :)

Using the left hand to signal a right turn is dumb, but it's what older drivers are taught since no one can see your right hand if you're in a car. I signal my right turns (using my right arm) when I'm in the lane, so drivers know I'm going to be slowing down.

@Warbuff - how do you look at the driver's eye in the dark?