Roadie Tips To Stay Alive...

Santapez

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Mostly a reply to Ian but I've discussed a few of these items I believe in this thread.

1 - You should right as right as practicable in the lane in the direction of where you are intending to go. If you're going straight at an intersection you should be in the right most lane that goes straight, not a turning lane. If it is a lane that supports a motor vehicle and bike you stay towards the right. If it only supports a car OR a bike safely you TAKE THE LANE.

2 - Both hand signals are correct, left pointing up and right pointing right. If you're visible to cars (as you should be riding to be visible) your right arm will be more apparent to drivers to your intention. I fail to believe that drivers fully understand the right turn signal of the left arm pointing up. (

https://issuu.com/bikeleague/docs/quickguide_copyright I HIGHLY SUGGEST ANYONE WHO RIDES IN THE ROAD TO READ THIS. If anyone wants a physical copy I'm happy to give you one.

The Bike League's quick guide is a great resource for this information. In the classes I teach I have a much thicker guide that goes into things in more detail but the quick guide is great.

-Steve
 
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MadisonDan

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I fail to believe that drivers fully understand the right turn signal of the left arm pointing up.

How is that possible? Wasn't that like one of the first things taught in Drivers Ed? Oh, wait. Never mind. Guess they cut that with the other unimportant parts, like parallel parking.
 

Norm

Mayor McCheese
Team MTBNJ Halter's
How is that possible? Wasn't that like one of the first things taught in Drivers Ed? Oh, wait. Never mind. Guess they cut that with the other unimportant parts, like parallel parking.

This is NJ. All hand signals have been replaced with the following. Stop, go, right, left, slowing down, speeding up, passing gas, thinking, not thinking, listening to the radio, driving, not driving, etc:

middle-finger.png
 

rick81721

Lothar
How is that possible? Wasn't that like one of the first things taught in Drivers Ed? Oh, wait. Never mind. Guess they cut that with the other unimportant parts, like parallel parking.

I agree. I always signal right turns with my right arm. I can't imagine more than 10% of drivers knowing what a left arm in a colonel klink heil hitler salute means. Most would think you're either waving or trying to give the finger. Or doing a heil hitler
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
I agree. I always signal right turns with my right arm. I can't imagine more than 10% of drivers knowing what a left arm in a colonel klink heil hitler salute means. Most would think you're either waving or trying to give the finger. Or doing a heil hitler
Exactly, no one knows what the bent left arm means. Pointing to where you are going is the best option. For drivers in front of you, making eye contact seems to make a difference as wel. Eye contact isnt always possible considering people aren't paying attention to you for many reasons but people may be less likely to run your ass over if they see you are a person.
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
This is NJ. All hand signals have been replaced with the following. Stop, go, right, left, slowing down, speeding up, passing gas, thinking, not thinking, listening to the radio, driving, not driving, etc:

middle-finger.png
I used this one at the Watchung circle a few weeks ago, long with the right turn hand signals, no one knows what Yield means
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
Exactly, no one knows what the bent left arm means. Pointing to where you are going is the best option. For drivers in front of you, making eye contact seems to make a difference as wel. Eye contact isnt always possible considering people aren't paying attention to you for many reasons but people may be less likely to run your ass over if they see you are a person.
i just started using the right arm, actually both for right turns
in hindsight, other than to notify other riders, what's the purpose other if riding alone
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
i just started using the right arm, actually both for right turns
in hindsight, other than to notify other riders, what's the purpose other if riding alone
Not following, so you use the bent left and the point right at the same time?

So left turn are more of the concern with signaling considering that is where most of the conflicts points are (another topic but this is why traffic circles are being pushed hard by federal highway because if you eliminate all the lefts at a 4 way intersection, you points of conflicts goes wasaaaay down) however, if cars are behind you, approaching cars are turning into where you are tuning too and cars are waiting to turn out of where you are going in, it is simply common curiosity more so than for your safety.
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
Not following, so you use the bent left and the point right at the same time?

So left turn are more of the concern with signaling considering that is where most of the conflicts points are (another topic but this is why traffic circles are being pushed hard by federal highway because if you eliminate all the lefts at a 4 way intersection, you points of conflicts goes wasaaaay down) however, if cars are behind you, approaching cars are turning into where you are tuning too and cars are waiting to turn out of where you are going in, it is simply common curiosity more so than for your safety.
bent left arm first followed by the right arm point,
 

stb222

Love Drunk
Jerk Squad
bent left arm first followed by the right arm point,
So if you saw someone doing this, what would you think they mean?

I have been through roadway safety training a few times and hand motions need to be very deliberate and exaggerated to be effective. Doing multiple things is one, potentially dangerous for you and two, probably isn't received from the driver as anything more than you flailing you arms around.

Also, if you aren't moving closer to the lane or taking the right side of the lane before doing these signals, they might not even be seeing you.
 

Santapez

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Another reason to point in the direction of where you're going is to point when changing lanes or lane position and keeping it consistant.

You should be looking back, scanning for cars (hopefully making eye contact if possible), pointing out where you want to go signalling your intention and making your move safely. Often you'll point slightly down so you can let the car behind you know where you're going. Moving from a forward moving lane to a left turn lane, or when taking the lane when the lane narrows, etc.
 

Dominos

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I heard an interested statistic on WNYC a few weeks ago that stuck with me.
They have been studying pedestrian fatalities in the 5 boroughs. (cyclists are considered pedestrians, FYI).

The statistic I found interesting was that there are 3x more pedestrian crashes from cars turning left than cars turning right.
I definitely see this near us, that frequently left-turning cars have a near blind-spot for cyclists travelling in the opposite direction - especially with multiple lanes of traffic.
Also - the A pillar problem.

Anyway - I don't think this was the segment I heard but it's referencing the same data:
http://www.wnyc.org/story/left-turns/
 

soundz

The Hat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
I heard an interested statistic on WNYC a few weeks ago that stuck with me.
They have been studying pedestrian fatalities in the 5 boroughs. (cyclists are considered pedestrians, FYI).

The statistic I found interesting was that there are 3x more pedestrian crashes from cars turning left than cars turning right.
I definitely see this near us, that frequently left-turning cars have a near blind-spot for cyclists travelling in the opposite direction - especially with multiple lanes of traffic.
Also - the A pillar problem.

Anyway - I don't think this was the segment I heard but it's referencing the same data:
http://www.wnyc.org/story/left-turns/

The city has been pushing their "Vision Zero Initiative". I've been hearing advertisements on the radio quite often over the past 5-6 months. Something like 60+ pedestrians in NYC get hit by cars every day. It's not hard to believe based on seeing how much cars drive like assholes and pedestrians walk like assholes in the city.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/visionzero/pages/home/home.shtml

They also decreased the speed limit in the city to 25MPH, but no one obeys it. It seems like they enforce these laws like 2 times a year when they get ordered by someone.
 

jShort

2018 Fantasy Football Toilet Bowl Lead Technician
Team MTBNJ Halter's
They also decreased the speed limit in the city to 25MPH, but no one obeys it. It seems like they enforce these laws like 2 times a year when they get ordered by someone.

That basically gives them the ability to pull over anybody they want whenever they want
 

Paul H

Fearless OOS Poser
They also decreased the speed limit in the city to 25MPH, but no one obeys it. It seems like they enforce these laws like 2 times a year when they get ordered by someone.
Not sure if this is exactly true... cuz I know a few ppl who got their plates photographed and got their picture in the mail along with a ridiculous fee. Not to mention I drive out to Queens every now and then and they all crawl. Very frustrating to drive out there.
 
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