Best Ways To Communicate With Other Drivers

Communicating with other drivers means letting them know your intent. It’s important to let the drivers around you, and even the pedestrians around you, know what you plan to do. That way, you avoid confusion at best, and a collision, at worst.

You communicate by using your car’s tools such as the headlights, indicator lights, hazard lights, brake lights, horn, and your car’s most important tool, you! Never underestimate the power of eye contact and body language. Say you want to merge into heavy traffic, you can either turn on your indicator light and just force your way in, or you can turn your indicator light on and try to catch the eye of the driver of the car that you want to get in front of to politely indicate that you’d like to merge. A courteous approach will more than likely get you into a different lane, not the bully approach.

Mirrors are also very important in communicating with other drivers – if you can’t see them in your mirror, either the rear view or side mirror, they can’t see you, either. Avoid sitting in another car’s blind spot – especially not a truck’s, with a huge blind spot – too many collisions happen because you aren’t seen.

Don’t forget to turn on your indicator lights when you are turning or switching lanes, and equally important, turn them off again when you’ve accomplished what you set out to do.

SIGNALS FOR DRIVERS AND BICYCLISTS Signal to other drivers when you plan to turn left or right, slow down, or stop. Signals must be given by signal lights on the vehicle. If your vehicle is not required to be and is not equipped with turn signals, then you must use hand-and-arm signals. Also, if your signal lights on your vehicle become inoperable, then you must use hand-and-arm signals. Watch for signals from other drivers.  Signal your left or right turn during the last 100 feet before reaching the turning point. At highway speeds, it is best to signal at least five seconds before you change lanes. If bright sunlight makes signal lights hard to see, use hand-and-arm signals also. Motorcyclists often use hand signals to make themselves more visible. Bicycle riders may give right turn signals with their right arm held straight out, pointing right.

AMENDS VEHICLE CODE SECTION 27602 Allows a person to drive a motor vehicle with a television receiver, video monitor, television or video screen, or any other similar means of visually displaying a television broadcast or video signal, if the equipment is designed, operated, and configured in a manner that prevents the driver of the motor vehicle from viewing the television broadcast or video signal while operating the vehicle in a safe and reasonable manner.