Don't know of a study showing bent-left vs. straight-right (though you'd think
there would be one somewhere), but studies have shown a lot of people don't
recognize hand signals well, especially the bent-left. This one is pretty old
('79), so I'd guess the bent-arm thing is even more foreign now, given
that it's long out of use in cars:
The efficacy of both formal hand signals and informal body signals made by
bicyclists was measured on 97 subjects ranging in age from 18 to 75 yrs. Slides
of a bicycle rider approaching an intersection were shown to subjects whose
task was to respond with the intended action of the rider (Left Turn, Straight
Ahead, Right Turn or Stop) and to rate their confidence in their response (high
or low). Forty-eight slides were shown comprising eight different signal
conditions combined with six positions across the width of the roadway.
Subjects were able to derive considerable information from rider position and
from informal body signals such as looking over the shoulder. Hand signals were
not perfectly recognized with about 20% errors for straight-arm signals and 35%
errors for bent-arm signals. The implications for changes in the law and in
training schemes are given.
________________________________
From: Steve Goldstein <[email protected]>
To: Bikies <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, May 15, 2009 4:24:42 PM
Subject: Re: [Bikies] Signaling a right turn with the right hand
The standard practice for racing-types (in pack riding, etc) is signaling with
the right hand horizontally. It's unambiguous and it's clearly more visible
from a few rows back in the peleton. The rider doing the signaling often
repeatedly points to the right (and yells "RIGHT TURN") to emphasize the signal.
On a side note, a few days ago I saw a biker signal a turn by using a
RIGHT-hand-bent signal. I don't know whether he intended to turn left or right
because I was too busy getting as far away as possible. (Maybe he was a Brit
new to our streets.)
Mark Clear wrote:
> For the past couple of years, I've been signaling right turns by putting my
> right hand out horizontally--just like for a left turn. I deliberately
> switched from the legal left-hand-bent signal because it seems to reduce the
> ambiguity, and therefore might give a 3-millisecond improvement in reaction
> time to a distracted motorist.
>
> I have, however, no evidence that this is actually safer. Thoughts? Research?
> Anyone?
>
> Mark C.
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