Hand Signals

About a year ago I was cycling in Toronto, westward along Lawrence, approaching Bayview. My route took me south on Bayview, and so I got behind a group of cars that were turning into an off-ramp leading to Bayview. Eventually, all but one of the cars ahead of me had turned, but this last car had come to a stop. After a few awkward moments, as I waited for the car to turn, the driver rolled her window down and told me that she had stopped because she didn't know what I was intending to do. Was I going to keep straight or turn right onto the ramp? If I had continued straight, her right turn would have cut me off. In fact, I was intending to go right, but how could she know? I hadn't signalled. She was right to wait, and she was also right to be a bit annoyed at me for not signalling my intention.

When I came to that right turn, it didn't even occur to me to make any kind of signal. Why would I? Cyclists never use hand signals, right? I bike all the time, and I as near to never as makes no difference see cyclists using signals. I'm tempted to say that I've never seen a cyclist signal, but I suppose I may once have seen this and forgotten about it. It is certainly very rare. Signalling just isn't in the culture of cycling. And this is not good.

For one thing, if cyclists did use hand signals, it would improve relations between drivers and cyclists. Drivers rightfully regard some (not all!) of the cyclists they see as rule-flouting road warriors. And they righfully ask themselves why cyclists aren't required to signal. If nothing else, it would be courteous to drivers if cyclists signalled. It would demonstrate to drivers that they and cyclists are all in the same boat. Driving can be aggravating enough as it is. Drivers don't need to see cyclists acting as if traffic rules don't apply to them.

Consider a driver waiting to make a right turn and seeing a cyclist approaching from behind. If signals were commonly used by cyclists, that driver could be reasonably confident that the lack of a signal from the cyclist indicated that the cyclist intended to keep straight. Currently, the driver has no idea what the cyclist's intentions are. And that is more dangerous to the cyclist than to the driver.

Do keep in mind that it is safest to signal when you are either stopped or are moving at a moderate pace or faster. Taking a hand from you handlebars to signal while you are inching along can be a precarious activity, and it would be easy to fall. Only signal while travelling slowly if you are a confident cyclist who isn't likely to keel over while doing it.