Hands Up!
A Fun Guide to Using Hand Signals
Cycling is a fantastic way to get around, offering benefits like exercise, environmental friendliness, and often quicker travel through traffic.
But sharing the road with motor vehicles requires cyclists to communicate their intentions clearly to ensure safety for themselves and others.
One of the most effective ways to do this is through the use of hand signals. In many areas, hand signals are actually required by law.
Do you know what they are or how to use them?
In this blog post, we’ll explore the importance of hand signals, how to use them correctly, and tips for staying safe on the road.
Why Are Hand Signals Important?
Hand signals are an important part of bicycle safety, whether you ride a pedal bike or an e-bike. They allow others to know your intention and help avoid misunderstandings that could lead to collisions. Hand signals are important to:
- Safety: Hand signals are a crucial way to communicate your actions to drivers, pedestrians, and other cyclists. This helps prevent accidents and ensures smoother traffic flow.
- Legal Requirement: In many places, using hand signals is not just a good practice; it’s required by law.
- Predictability: Signaling your intentions makes you more predictable to others on the road, reducing the chances of collisions.
Essential Hand Signals Every Cyclist Should Know
If you ride on the road or in traffic, you should know the following signals.
Left Turn: Extend your left arm straight out to the side. This signal is straightforward and easily understood by motorists.
Right Turn: Extend your left arm out and bend it upwards at a 90-degree angle. This signal is particularly useful in heavy traffic where extending your right arm might not be practical.
Stopping or Slowing Down: Extend your left arm out and slant it downwards with your palm facing backward. This signal alerts others that you’re slowing down or coming to a stop.
Tips for Effective Hand Signaling
- Be Clear and Consistent: Make your signals clear and deliberate. Hold them long enough to ensure they are seen by others.
- Check Your Surroundings: Before making any signal, check for traffic behind and around you. Make sure it’s safe to take one hand off of your handlebars.
- Practice: If you’re new to cycling or hand signals, practice them in a safe, traffic-free area until they become second nature. Teach younger riders how to use them.
- Combine with Visual Cues: In addition to hand signals, make eye contact with drivers when possible. This further ensures they are aware of your intentions.
- Use Lights and Reflective Gear: Especially at night or in low-visibility conditions, complement your hand signals with bike lights and reflective clothing to enhance visibility. Many e-bikes now include turn signals that are visible from behind. You should still use hand signals for traffic and other bicycles in front of you.
Let’s Roll!
Hand signals are an essential part of cycling safely, allowing you to communicate effectively with others on the road. By learning and consistently using these signals, you contribute to a safer riding environment for everyone.
Whether you’re commuting to work or just out enjoying a leisurely ride, clear hand signals help ensure that you reach your destination safely.
If you need to beef up on your safety gear, we have a wide variety of lights, bells, reflective clothing, rear-view mirrors, and everything else to make you more visible on the road.
Happy riding, and stay safe out there!