it makes me so angry when cyclists refuse to obey traffic signs

Azari

daytona0 wrote: »

Umm, why would you assume that? Signals are used to show an intention or to warn others.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/312184/the-highway-code-signals-to-other-road-users.pdf

Should probably read up on the highway code a bit lad, as if you get one of those hand signals wrong you may cause an accident (irrespective of how slow and quiet you are).

ROFLMAO!

What a load of tosh!

Have you ever actually driven on public roads?

There is no such thing as a signal meaning 'don't overtake', and, although, as Plog says above, no one should overtake if you are indicating right, that is certainly not an approved signal to mean 'don't overtake' if you are not turning.

On the other hand, raising your arm as a gesture of appreciation for any courtesy shown has been extremely common - albeit unofficial - anywhere I have even driven, whether in the UK or abroad.

Many times horse riders have raised their arms as I have been driving slowly past them and I'm certain that none of them were attempting to inhibit me from passing. Why would they?

bod1467

Azari wrote: »

Many times horse riders have raised their arms as I have been driving slowly past them and I'm certain that none of them were attempting to inhibit me from passing. Why would they?

The most important bit is the position of the fingers on the hand when they are making this gesture.

Cycrow

should also point out that many one way roads do allow cyclists both ways.

so depending on the road, the cyclist may not have actually done anything wrong

aileth

There's a fella who cycles along our route to work. Full lycra, seems to have an expensive bike.

I've seen him in more than one confrontation. I'll preface this by saying of course, cyclists have full rights to cycle in the middle of the road.

However, he does it in the midst of rush hour when there's a bus lane clear and available (going the same way) and then will sit going as slow as humanly possible (maybe one half-arsed peddle every 30 seconds) while staring over his shoulder, like he's checking to see how much of a back-log he's creating.

This happens even when the car behind him is giving him over a car length's gap (it's been us on occasions and we've given him almost a bus gap as we know what he's like).

When he pulls up at the lights further on and someone has a rather miffed word with him, he'll go nuts about how he has as much right as anyone else and he's a road user and should be treated as one. He'll then whip through the red, onto the curb just after it, and onto the pavement, causing pedestrians to dive out of his way, before continuing his journey on the pavement.

Now, this is just one fella, and when I consider how many pr*ck cyclists I've seen compared to pr*ck drivers, it's not even comparable. I maybe see once instance of a pr*ck cyclist in the morning (this guy) compared to maybe 20-30 pr*ck drivers. The cyclist is just looking for an argument, but the drivers pull seriously dangerous moves sometimes and I've had more close calls than I care to consider by people going in the wrong lane to cut up later on to get three cars ahead.

I can completely imagine this sort of d*ck is as infuriating to cyclists as it is to the motorists he's attempting to frustrate!

zagfles

bod1467 wrote: »

The most important bit is the position of the fingers on the hand when they are making this gesture.

Not kidding. Flat palm facing backwards, like the policeman's "stop" hand signal.

daytona0

Azari wrote: »

ROFLMAO!

What a load of tosh!

Have you ever actually driven on public roads?

Ermm, it isn't a load of tosh. It is just a bit of advice, as your definition is not mentioned in the highway code and as such your assumption may be different from that of another person's assumption.

Yes I have.

There is no such thing as a signal meaning 'don't overtake', and, although, as Plog says above, no one should overtake if you are indicating right, that is certainly not an approved signal to mean 'don't overtake' if you are not turning.

I know, I never said that there was...

On the other hand, raising your arm as a gesture of appreciation for any courtesy shown has been extremely common - albeit unofficial - anywhere I have even driven, whether in the UK or abroad.

Aye true, just like flashing your lights. The problem is that IF YOU ARE WRONG (and that could be down to you, or down to the person using the wrong signal) then you may cause an accident.

Many times horse riders have raised their arms as I have been driving slowly past them and I'm certain that none of them were attempting to inhibit me from passing. Why would they?

I've been driving for a few years and have only once came across a horse rider. Maybe you are from the country and have more of an opportunity to see horse riders "many times". Could therefore easily be a bit of a misunderstanding between me and you, if you have some unwritten rules of road use. Just because you think a raised arm means X, doesn't mean that someone else thinks it means Y. Maybe the highway code gives some similar examples, Z, of correct signalling when using horses. As you say, it is all "unofficial" if we make a signal which does not conform to the highway code (Z).

That said, unless the rider is using BOTH hands then they will be clearly using their right or left hand ONLY. Why can't it be a case of correct directional signalling, but incorrect hand positioning? Maybe a vertically raised right arm means "I'm about to turn right"? It would be a bit ambiguous from the horse rider, but still warrants some caution.

barbiedoll

I see many cyclists on my route to work and they will often put their arm out if they're about to pull out in front of you, if they're avoiding a parked vehicle, for example.

I know that cyclists do annoy drivers and with the huge increase in cyclists over the past few years, there's no doubt that driving (in some areas at least) has become more difficult because of them.
I don't mind the lycra-clad ones, on expensive bikes, they are are normally a bit more aware of the rules of the road. It's the cyclists who are out and about for a bit of exercise, which I find are the most dangerous. I recently had to drive very slowly behind a girl in a long skirt, riding an imitation-vintage bike, complete with basket on the front. She was completely oblivious to the huge queue of traffic behind her, she was riding in the middle of the road in a very busy one-way system. When we finally managed to overtake her (she eventually went onto the pavement as she came up to some roadworks), she did receive plenty of foul-mouthed abuse from some of the drivers.

I also recently saw a very large gentleman, wobbling precariously on a bike, along a dual carriageway! :eek:

I do feel for the motorcyclists, every day I see at least one "near miss" just because drivers simply don't look when they're pulling out of junctions. I don't think I've ever met a motorcyclist who has not had an accident whilst on their bike. One of my colleagues ended up with two broken arms after a lorry driver opened his door straight into him.

Azari

daytona0 wrote: »

Ermm, it isn't a load of tosh. It is just a bit of advice, as your definition is not mentioned in the highway code and as such your assumption may be different from that of another person's assumption.

It may be, but as I do not act on the assumption, it hardly matters.

It's also the case that, whatever you may think, raising your hand is a commonly accepted gesture of thanks when someone has shown you some consideration on the road.

Aye true, just like flashing your lights. The problem is that IF YOU ARE WRONG (and that could be down to you, or down to the person using the wrong signal) then you may cause an accident.

Indeed. You have to think very carefully before you ACT on a non-standard signal. However, you can hardly be blamed if you do not act on a signal that, not only has no defined meaning (within the highway code) but is very commonly assumed to mean something else.

I've been driving for a few years and have only once came across a horse rider. Maybe you are from the country and have more of an opportunity to see horse riders "many times". Could therefore easily be a bit of a misunderstanding between me and you, if you have some unwritten rules of road use. Just because you think a raised arm means X, doesn't mean that someone else thinks it means Y. Maybe the highway code gives some similar examples, Z, of correct signalling when using horses. As you say, it is all "unofficial" if we make a signal which does not conform to the highway code (Z).

Can you not understand that if someone uses a non standard hand signal then it's their problem if you misunderstand them? Provided that you don't use their signal to modify your correct use of the road according to the highway code, you have done nothing wrong.

That said, unless the rider is using BOTH hands then they will be clearly using their right or left hand ONLY. Why can't it be a case of correct directional signalling, but incorrect hand positioning? Maybe a vertically raised right arm means "I'm about to turn right"? It would be a bit ambiguous from the horse rider, but still warrants some caution.

Believe me, horse riders make their intentions VERY clear. The consequences of their not doing so are likely to be too severe to take chances.

If they want to turn right the will either:

Stop and wait for all other traffic to pass.

or

Stick their arm out very straight at an exact right angle to their body and leave it it there until they are well into the manouver.

trukdiver

zagfles wrote: »

Or lorry drivers who drive 3 inches from your backside on a motorway in a roadworks 50 zone.

And then put their headlights on to make sure you know where they are?

zagfles

trukdiver wrote: »

And then put their headlights on to make sure you know where they are?

Or even their horn. One time I was driving at the 50 speed limit, as measured by my sat nav (not my speedo which said about 52), and some moron lorry tailgates me ridiculously close for about a mile and started using his horn! I was in the left lane, driving at the speed limit. !!!!!! did he expect me to do, go into the middle so he could undertake and break the speed limit?

I didn't because I was getting off at the next junction. So was he, which explains why he didn't overtake. He followed me onto a 70mph dual carriageway. I left him with a "friendly" gesture and cloud of dust on leaving the traffic lights at the roundabout, and tested how quick I could do 0-70 :rotfl: