passing signal

I still use the old school curtsey of flashing my lights for a vehicle
to come back in, few OTR drivers are allowed to do this anymore.

It is my understanding that company lawyers and insurance companies
have made them stop, for fear of litigation in case of an accident.

F450 wrote:
I just thought I would try and help someone behind me pass. I have had people behind me follow me for miles and there were no cars coming. I guess you people don't think that way.

I typically travel at or just over the posted speed so as not to hold up traffic, this being on a two way two lane road.
I had a situation on Christmas day heading to the coast, got behind a driver drifting between 40 and 50 on a posted 55 mph road, two lane few passing zones. At the last passing zone I became the first vehicle following this car. I kept to the right shoulder so those following could see past me to pass, but no takers. We came to the next good straightaway, I looked at the DW and asked "Permission to Pass" her reply was sure!
Checked the mirrors and left turn signal, and we passed, didn't even need to drop a gear.

F450 wrote:
I just thought I would try and help someone behind me pass. I have had people behind me follow me for miles and there were no cars coming. I guess you people don't think that way.

The fact that someone is following you does not indicate they want or need to pass.

If you could see an aerial view of the highway, you would see vehicles generally travel in herds. Even if one or two breaks from the herd, they will drive faster until they latch onto another herd and then slow down again.

I swear it is true, crazy, but true human nature. Of all the people in the world, 99% are followers and don't want to lead.

BTW, I think the turn signal idea is terrible.

F450 wrote:
I just thought I would try and help someone behind me pass. I have had people behind me follow me for miles and there were no cars coming. I guess you people don't think that way.

Nope, we think about safety first.

I just thought I would try and help someone behind me pass. I have had people behind me follow me for miles and there were no cars coming. I guess you people don't think that way.

I agree with the posts above that a turn signal should only indicate what the vehicle it is attached to wants to do. The goal is that signals of any kind be clear and unambiguous.

I seem to remember a similarly dangerous use of turn signals that was a fad decades ago. That was if you were in line of cars and a car in front of you was slowing traffic to turn right or left with its turn signal on, you somehow felt the need to turn on your turn signal to inform drivers behind you about it. The only information they need is your brake lights. For a right turn, this "sympathy signal" on a vehicle that is not turning tells drivers waiting at the turn off point to enter the road to come on out. For a left turn, oncoming traffic would feel free to make their own left in front of you.

The danger in the above situation is the same reason you should never turn on a right turn signal until you have passed all streets or parking lot entrance/exits before the turn you want. Safe drivers would never pull out in front of someone based solely on a signal, but the most important thing a safe driver knows is that not all drivers are safe drivers. Depending on speed limit, my state requires a turn signal 100' or 200' before the turn. I will not follow this law if that distance has other entrances to the road before my turn.

Lauren wrote:

As my insurance agent told my sons when they started driving: When you see a turn signal activated on an on-coming vehicle, it only means that their turn signal works.

Precisely.

I think that was one of my first lessons in drivers ed. Never trust your life to a 30 cent light bulb.

Desert Captain wrote:
When anyone overtaking pulls up close behind me I assume they are looking to pass. I simply maintain my speed and when it becomes safe for them to make their pass I move slightly to the right (without vacating my lane). This gives them a hint that it is time to make their move and a much improved view of what is coming down the road. The rest is up to them.

X2

The most I'll do is move over to the right side of the lane so you can see past me... The rest is up to you!

valhalla360 wrote:

pitch wrote:
Worst thing you can do driving is to deviate from accepted driving practices. Never be nice and accommodating and encourage another driver to go out of turn. Predictability is the only thing saving us from certain death on the road.

Exactly. The system works because people can generally predict what other drivers will do. When you deviate, they tend to make the wrong prediction.

While I haven't done a ton of driving in Mexico, I haven't seen truckers do this.

What I have seen is on 2lane/2way roads. if there is a paved shoulder, the front driver will slide over partially onto the shoulder, so you can see around easier. The part I'm not as comfortable with, is they will procced to pass with oncoming traffic on the assumption, the oncoming traffic will likelywise slide over making room. It seems to work but still not comfortable withit.

I know in Washington it is lawful for trucks to drive on the shoulder when it is signed. Somewhat like a slow vehicle, but is the sholder, typically between 10' and 12' wide.

pitch wrote:
Worst thing you can do driving is to deviate from accepted driving practices. Never be nice and accommodating and encourage another driver to go out of turn. Predictability is the only thing saving us from certain death on the road.

Exactly. The system works because people can generally predict what other drivers will do. When you deviate, they tend to make the wrong prediction.

While I haven't done a ton of driving in Mexico, I haven't seen truckers do this.

What I have seen is on 2lane/2way roads. if there is a paved shoulder, the front driver will slide over partially onto the shoulder, so you can see around easier. The part I'm not as comfortable with, is they will procced to pass with oncoming traffic on the assumption, the oncoming traffic will likelywise slide over making room. It seems to work but still not comfortable withit.