Originally Posted by
graywolf
The rules of the Road drivers license bookets do not even mention hand signals these days (you can get a ticket for not having working turn signals on your car). So most younger drivers have no idea what standard hand signals mean, so pointing with the hand towards where you are going is probably safer.
And before us older guys, and gals, sneer; what is the standard hand signal for "I am about to brake"? And did you realize that signals indicate intention, they are not needed and too late once you actually start to do it.
Well, I certainly had the hand signals in my book when I took driver's ed. This would have been 1999 if I remember correctly. Although, many of the students just didn't get it. The teacher (who I am convinced is completely insane) had several students come up and demonstrate hand signals. One student (who I think was stoned) put his left arm straight out for a left turn. The teacher told him to then signal a right turn. "Uh...Ok," and put his right arm straight out.