Originally Posted by
Helmet Head
Now, a hand signal does not give you the right to move or turn laterally. If someone else has the right of way, you have to wait for them to go by, or until they yield to you. I say this because many cyclists seem to think that to turn all they have to do is signal and go.
I wonder if this is what causes higher accident rate with hand signals (if that's true at all). Or perhaps it's that the situation when a cyclist is more likely to signal are in generous more dangerous and will result in higher accident rate. Or maybe it's the reduced control over the bike.
Originally Posted by Podolak
I just use hand signals. Always works. Except when I don't use them, which means I am going straight. That seems to confuse the cagers. I think there thought processes goes like this:
"Damn, there is a cyclist" (if they notice me at all)
"Both of his hands are on the bar, I wonder what he is going to do" (if he is going slow enough to even know where my hands are)
"I'll just assume he is going to turn" at which point their assumption causes them to cut me off.
I actually "signal" straight at some intersections. Don't know if it does anything, but I hope, if nothing else, the arm movement may attract the attention of left-turners who seem to have a tendency to not notice bicycles proceeding straight...