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07-02-08 | 01:05 PM

#35

atbman

Senior Member

Joined: Sep 2003

Posts: 2,084

Likes: 4

From: Leeds UK

Quote:

Originally Posted by qpliu

I don't know how much thought you gave to that recommendation, but I think looking back for traffic is the first thing to do in my situation.

Perhaps I didn't express myself well - I took it for granted from your post that you had looked back

I'm not convinced that hand signals are worthwhile, but perhaps someone will post something that will change my mind.

I don't quite understand the problem here. If you are sharing the road with much faster and heavier vehicles, then indicating your intentions, in plenty of time, if possible, enables everyone to know what you wish to do. It also gives them the opportunity to allow you to merge/cross lanes. My last 3 years commute, before retiring, involved me in crossing from LH side of two lanes (UK) to RH side of second lane in order to turn right at roundabout/traffic circle. The speed limit was 70mph, tho' it was more like 50mph and slowing near the roundabout, during the evening rush hour. Signalling resulted in drivers easing off the accelerator and allowing me to move across - their actions were usually accompanied by a quick flash of the headlights.

Since it was a slight uphill drag, I wasn't travelling at more than about 15/18mph but other road users seemed to appreciate clear signals and co-operate. I'm not saying that it always happened immediately, but I never failed to get across.

I accept, from reading this forum for the last few years, that there are probably more ignorant drivers in the US - we have our share - but any traffic system requires co-operation from the vast majority of road users and if you give them the chance, most will do so.

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