#Hand signals for turning drivers#
#Hand signals for turning code#

Biker Code Hand Signals: Slow Downįor many reasons, the lead rider may signal for the riders behind to slow down. With their left arm down to the side, their clenched fist will open and close to signify the flashing of your turning signal.īiker code / hand signals: Indicator left on (drag the arrows left and right for animation) 5. If the rider in front of you opens and closes their left fist, they’re telling you that you’ve left your indicator on. This will allow you to show your palm to the riders behind as in this image. By extending your shoulder and flexing your elbow, your arm will drop at 90-degrees. No matter where you are in the world, if you hold your palm up to someone, their instinct would be to stop.Īnd in the biking world, we use the same concept.īut how do you show the palm of your hand to a group of riders behind you?Įasy. In the image below, you can see that the biker code hand signal for a right turn is to hold your left fist up with your arm at a 90-degree angle. So they will have to use their left hand.īut how do you use your left hand to signal right? If a ride leader wants to indicate a right turn, it would be unsafe to remove their hand from the bars (and particularly away from the front brake.) Biker Code Hand Signals: Indicate To Turn Right To turn left, the commonly accepted hand signal is to hold your left arm out to the side as in the image below. If riding in a group, the ride leader will need to alert their intentions to the riders behind. But what if their bulb goes, or if their turning signals fail? More often than not, a rider will use their left turning signal if they intend to turn left. (So you are seeing the biker code hand signals from behind.) Image via Zakaria Zayne Veqrhy / Unsplash 1.Indicate To Turn Left So, how many of these 10 biker code hand signals do you know?!įor the purpose of this post, assume you are following another biker.

Some are prevalent the world over, and some a more common in certain countries than others.Īnd whilst you probably won’t find yourself needing them daily, it’s a good idea to have a general idea of what your fellow bikers are trying to communicate to you. We’ve listed below 10 biker code hand signals that we all should know. Image via Monica Leonardi / Unsplash What Do Biker Hand Signals Mean? This prevents accidents by clearly communicating what is about to happen. Similarly, if you ever do any group riding, you’ll find that various members of the group (usually the leader) utilise hand signals to let the rest of the group know their intentions. And you need to know what it is they’re referring to. One day, you’ll find yourself riding along and on the receiving end of a signal from a fellow biker. If you’re an experienced rider you’ll more than likely already know the signals below. Image via Finn Whelen / Unsplash Biker Hand Signals To Each Other

There are even some ignorant so-and-so’s out there who ignore other bikers entirely! And whilst that’s generally frowned upon, that’s their decision. Sometimes we point (with one or two fingers), sometimes we nod, and sometimes we do a full-on wave. These days, it’s more of a ‘hello’ between bikers. In days gone by, ‘the point’ was a reciprocal biker sign of respect. If you’re a non-biker and you’re reading this post, it’s simply a way for bikers to say hello to each other. This is the question that non-bikers ask me the most. Image via Bence Bella Schottner / Unsplash What Does It Mean When Bikers Point Two Fingers Down? Just like a brake light or a turning signal, our hand gestures signal our intentions to other road users.

#Hand signals for turning drivers#

So if car drivers are watching our hand signals as well as other bikers, isn’t it important that we’re getting them right?Īfter all, our hand signals are an externalisation of our objectives. Because whilst many riders look down on ‘cagers’ for not seeing them, they seem to be seeing us enough if they’re noticing our hand signals. As you’d expect, I get asked a lot of questions from a lot of riders when it comes to motorcycles.īut one thing that a lot of non-riders ask me about is the various gestures and hand signals that bikers make to each other.īut then I realised it was quite important.