lyndon wrote:On a recent trip to New Zealand, I was driving downhill, around a bend on a road that was a bit slippery. A car had overturned on the bend. A short time later, a driver offered to pull the car back on to its wheels. He did this by positioning his vehicle at right angles to oncoming traffic, in the middle of the road, and attaching a cable to the car from a winch on the front of his vehicle. At this point I thought it might be a good idea to go up the hill and try to warn other drivers about the obstruction.
Although it was a fairly busy main road, it was a long way from civilisation, and I was viewed with suspicion. Nobody took any notice of me, whatever gestures I tried to use to warn them of the danger ahead. I suppose they just thought I was trying to stop them to ask for a lift. In desperation, I resorted to a bit of sign language. With my left hand open, I struck the palm of my left hand with my right fist, then pointed down the road: 'There has been a crash down there'. It worked. But I can't help feeling there should have been an easier way.
How would you slow down traffic under these circumstances?
lyndon wrote:With my left hand open, I struck the palm of my left hand with my right fist, then pointed down the road.
kfae8959 wrote:On a family holiday in France when I was a child, we came across a collision and the officer of the Police Nationale on scene made a signal with his hand open, fingers together, wrist towards the ground and fingertips lifted, pushing downwards. My father (driving) immediately understood that to mean he should slow down, and I have assumed since then that that was the internationally recognised signal to do so. I've used it myself quite a bit!
David
Porker wrote: In my experience, nothing slows drivers down like a nice fluorescent green jacket, and I would suggest that everyone keeps at least a couple in their car(s).
Horse wrote:[
Most got the idea that people don't stand waving for no reason. One car moved across, went past, then moved back to the left lane. Oh well, he'd have realised when he got around the corner . . .
Red Herring wrote:Horse wrote:[
Most got the idea that people don't stand waving for no reason. One car moved across, went past, then moved back to the left lane. Oh well, he'd have realised when he got around the corner . . .
Unless of course he was so busy looking in his mirror at "this idiot stood in the road waving at people" that he wasn't looking where he was going...
Red Herring wrote: First ask yourself if the obstruction is so bad that drivers will have to stop or cross lanes to avoid it. If not then don't put you car before it, put it after it and out of the way. If it does completely block the road put your vehicle, with the hazards on, a short distance before the obstruction (far enough away to give room to react, but close enough so drivers passing your vehicle can see the obstruction) but in such a position that drivers can easily drive past without crossing lanes etc. Then, hopefully wearing something high vis, stand 50m before your vehicle (or the obstruction) and use a pushing gesture with both hands to indicate to drivers to move over. If you use an up and down motion drivers tend to think you want them to stop....and that can cause it's own problems!
Red Herring wrote: First ask yourself if the obstruction is so bad that drivers will have to stop or cross lanes to avoid it. If not then don't put you car before it,
Red Herring wrote: (far enough away to give room to react, but close enough so drivers passing your vehicle can see the obstruction)
Red Herring wrote: use a pushing gesture with both hands to indicate to drivers to move over.
Return to General Car Chat Forum
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 25 guests