Iride01 

I'd want to use the hand signals that most every motor vehicle driver should have been taught or should have read if they even opened their states driver manual. Though some do include wording that a cyclist may use and extended right arm to signal a right turn.

So lets just recognize that either is acceptable everywhere that I know of. Except if you are in a motor vehicle. Then common sense should tell you to use the arm that will extend from the vehicle depending on which side of the vehicle the steering wheel is on.

I almost always extend my left arm up to indicate a right turn. I feel that my right hand and arm have better control over my bike than my left. Maybe it's something I should practice in case I have my right arm ripped off by one of those bears that seem to be chasing some lately.

chaadster

Signaling differently because you can is not a good reason.

Signaling in accordance with established and recognized protocol is a good reason to use the left arm. Because we ride with traffic, usually to the right, which puts our left arm in the centerline view for vehicles following, behind, and alongside, is a good reason to use the left.

Making up signals because you can is childish.

rumrunn6

this is a good point, but insulting me to make a point is not

livedarklions

People signal turns on MUPs? I have literally never seen this done once and I ride a lot of MUPs. In the past two weeks, I have ridden on MUPs in 4 different states.

MUPs are not roads. If I need to let someone know what I'm doing on a MUP, I'm generally behind them and I'll use my voice to explain. If I'm going to turn left, I'm going to wait for the guy in the opposite lane to pass by me first, so it's not going to be an issue. On a road, I try to always signal my left turns in case I'm wrong about there being nobody behind me. If I'm FRAP, I rarely bother signaling a right turn.

I don't know what use the information that he was turning to the right was to you, and his signaling it just caused you some confusion.

I know the upward bent left arm means right turn, but it's obscure enough knowledge that I don't know whether the person holding their arm up actually intends to signal a right turn.

WhyFi

For some time, I've wanted to hand signal a right turn, in my car, while in the presence of a police officer. I'm betting that it would be lost on most officers and I'd end up getting pulled over.

livedarklions

This is actually wrong in most states. Most states have changed their laws to allow the extended right arm to signal a right turn. We are literally operating the only vehicles commonly found on toads using hand signals, so it makes sense that the "road code" has been adapted to bicycle use. As stated above, the only reason for the left arm bent upwards is because drivers couldn't stick their arms out the right window. It makes absolutely no sense on a bike.

WhyFi

Pointing the direction that you intend to travel is much more intuitive than using an arm, opposite the direction you intend to turn, fist raised upward. It's not a matter of signaling differently because you can - it's a matter of effective communication. Language/communication changes. Do you rail against new additions to the dictionary, too?

chaadster

It’s not about you, it’s the common “you” referring to people non-specifically.

chaadster

Hahaha! Intuition told people the world was flat. Reason revealed it was spherical.

WhyFi

Completely irrelevant within the scope of discussion. Does reason tell you that fist up, with your left arm, indicates an intent to go right better than pointing right with your right arm?

chaadster

Kinda.

Motor cycles are motor vehicles with the same ability as cyclists to use both arms, but I believe they’re required to hand signal just as cars are.

genejockey 

"Pointing your arm in the direction you intend to travel is dumb AF! You need to follow an arcane set of rules because any deviation from how I think things should be upsets me! I don't care if the rules have changed!"

That about sum it up?

Ghazmh

For some reason I assume that drivers will have no idea what an extended right arm means if they even see it. I assume (yes I know the saying about assuming) they can see an upraised left hand easier.

livedarklions

You're from Michigan, right?

Your legislature thinks differently than you do, and their opinion counts and yours doesn't:

https://www.michiganautolaw.com/blog...an-bicyclists/

chaadster

I already outlined what reason tells me, upthread.

chaadster

I’m aware of the law in MI, and that’s not to do with motorcycles.

livedarklions

So are you afraid that if you use the right hand extended signal, you're going to ride off the edge of the earth?

Hate to break it to you, but you're the flat-earther in this discussion. Reason has dictated that a signal that can be understood intuitively is superior to one that was adopted for no longer relevant reasons.

WhyFi

If you'd like to quote it/point it out, cool - I'll read it. Otherwise, reason tells me that I don't need to seek it out.

livedarklions

Evidence above would suggest that you are not aware of the law in MI. "Road code" and "protocols" are established by the legislature, not by some guy who thinks we need to do things like we're operating a different vehicle.

genejockey 

One might say, you have no reason to.

livedarklions

Oh, and one more thing--do you see a lot of people riding motorcycles that were built before 1973 on the road?

billyymc

New York State permits right hand extended to the right as a legal alternative for bicycles (to signal a right turn).

chaadster

As an aside, we gotta start paying teachers more…and bring drivers’ ed. back into the MI public school cirriculum.

cyccommute 

There’s a reason for that which doesn’t apply to bicycles. Frankly, signaling right turns with the left arm on a bicycle is awkward and puts the rider in a bad body position for a smooth right turn. We corner better with pressure put on the pedal and handlebar on the outside of the turn. A raised left arm removes that control.

cb400bill

Using the old left arm bent 90 degrees is so easily misinterpreted by riders and drivers alike. Continuing to use this is DAF. Simply point right to go right. Understood by all.

We aren't in cars or on motorcycles with a right hand throttle.